Contents
- How does a baby get chickenpox?
- Chickenpox: symptoms in babies
- How to recognize and diagnose chickenpox in babies?
- In video: Getting chickenpox during pregnancy is rare
- Fever, itchy pimples: how to treat and relieve baby?
- Contagion, incubation and duration of chickenpox
- In video: Can a child with chickenpox attend school?
La varicella is one of childish maladies the most common. Very contagious, it spreads at high speed between children: almost 90% of children thus catch the varicella before the age of 8. Which is not necessarily a drama … Indeed, the chickenpox in young children is, except in exceptional circumstances, much less serious than that of adults. It is nonetheless essential to recognize it as early as possible in babies and to treat it!
How does a baby get chickenpox?
La varicella is caused by a virus of the family of herpes : herpes zoster. The virus spreads most often via small drops of saliva or mucus released into the air during a sneeze. Carried by the air, the virus can spread from room to room. It only takes one child to be affected to contaminate an entire nursery or several classes in a school … More rarely, contagion can be due to the consumption of contaminated food or direct contact with the buttons of an contagious child.
Chickenpox: symptoms in babies
The symptoms of chickenpox in babies take about two weeks to appear after contamination. Baby has a fever, is very tired and may have a runny nose. On his skin appear red buttons that evolve over the days. After the redness, these small lesions evolve into vesicles, fill up with fluid (which contains a lot of viruses) and eventually form scabs. Pimples of different stages are present all over the body and they are very itchy.
It also happens that the baby is infected in utero. This happens if the mother catches the varicella during the first 5 months of pregnancy or a few days before childbirth. The consequences of the combination “pregnancy and chickenpoxCan be heavy for the child (serious malformations, even death of the baby). Fortunately, this scenario is very rare: 9 out of 10 mothers who have had varicella during childhood, they are immune to the virus.
How to recognize and diagnose chickenpox in babies?
Le diagnosis of chickenpox in young children is usually done in the office of a pediatrician or general practitioner. The doctor will start by analyzing the clinical symptoms: taking the temperature, looking for pimples… It is not always easy: some children have only one and only one. chickenpox pimple. Others, less fortunate, have it everywhere: between the toes, on the scalp and even in the mouth!
Usually, just looking at the buttons – and the fact that there is a chickenpox epidemic in the area – allows the doctor to make his diagnosis. In case of doubt, he takes a sample of the liquid contained in the buttons for analysis. If the child is also subject to severe pain in the stomach or head, the doctor looks for a possible (and rare) complication of chickenpox like encephalitis. These complications only affect babies with a weakened immune system.
In video: Getting chickenpox during pregnancy is rare
Fever, itchy pimples: how to treat and relieve baby?
To prevent the chickenpox in babies, there is a chickenpox vaccine very effective in protecting it. Vaccination can be done urgently within 2 or 3 days of meeting a contagious child. If baby already has the varicella, it is mainly a question of treating the symptoms. The fever must be fought with paracetamol (no aspirin in case of chickenpox!) and by moisturizing baby regularly.
Another priority: prevent your little one from scratching, otherwise beware of permanent scars! In addition, scratching promotes superinfection … A homeopathic treatment or antihistamines help decrease baby’s itchiness.
One to two showers per day, short and warm, can relieve it by providing an immediate soothing effect. Preferably put on loose clothing and cut their fingernails. In case of force majeure, you can also put mittens to your little one to prevent it from scratching! If there is any superinfection, the doctor will put the baby on antibiotics.
Contagion, incubation and duration of chickenpox
It is important to keep baby as far away as possible from other children during his contagious period. Baby is contagious on average 2 days before the pimples come out. It stays that way until the pimples are gone, which usually requires a good ten days.