Kate definitely has some pink spots on her neck, chest, and arms. Could this be chicken pox? We are thinking it probably is. Oh boy! It's one thing to delay the shot because I figure we can get it for them later, and anyway, chicken pox isn't a big deal, right? Now I'm looking at a week in the house, the possibility of Will getting it too (would the antibodies in my milk protect him at this point??), and Eric teaching a modular next week. Oh well. If this is what it is, Dr. Robert Sears says in The Vaccine Book that chicken pox is usually harmless, and that having the disease provides a lifelong immunity that the shot can't provide. He also mentions an antiviral medicine some people take for chicken pox--does anyone know about this? I remember taking oatmeal baths as a kid when I had this--do you just buy this at the store?
Proof and Certainty
1 day ago
10 comments:
Hi Erin, Albie had chicken pox last year - he hardly noticed it apart from looking terrible with spots everywhere (although I think it varies how it affects kids).
We used a few spoonfuls of bicarbonate of soda in his bath to ease the itching & calamine cream on the spots. I think we also gave him a homeopathic remedy - maybe rhus tox? I can't remember exactly but if you were interested I could double check which one it was.
I was delighted to get it out of the way, a few days keeping away from other kids was worth it! Both Ian & I had had it as children, so we didn't need to worry about getting it ourselves.
At least if Will gets it too they've both got it out of the way at once!
Good luck with it anyway :-) Abi
Thanks Abi! Are you still waiting on that baby??
Thanks for sharing Albie's experience--I know you don't vaccinate at all right? But then, no one gets chicken pox vaccine in the UK anyway, do they? Thanks for the bath idea. So far, it seems mild, but we only really noticed the spots today. One has already scabbed over, and she is not complaining about fever and itching.
Yes, it will be good to have it over with--I was especially hoping Kate would catch it naturally so if she is pregnant in the future, there is no question about her immunity.
Yes, still waiting...will keep you posted!
Just be cautious not to dry her skin out with an oatmeal bath -- just makes the itching worse!
I wonder where she picked it up from -- usually when one kid gets it, they all do!
I never understood the chicken pox vaccine. Aside from being a week of uncomfortable and maybe sick (I had a terrible fever, but both my sisters spent a week playing outside with all the immune kids in the neighborhood!)....
Camille, according to the book I've been reading, chicken pox causes death in 1 out of 65,000 cases. And in less than 1% of cases, there can be complications like pneumonia, kidney or liver problems, and neurologic symptoms. But I've heard that corporations were the ones to push for the chicken pox vaccine, because so many parents were missing work--not sure if that's true.
I had chicken pox as an adult. It was the sickest I've ever been in my life.
Oatmeal bath was the only thing that kept me halfway sane. It does *not* make itching worse, it's heavenly.
Thanks L-girl! I had it at 13 and that was bad enough--I can't imagine what it's like as an adult.
Ezra got it when he was 2 months old & breastfeeding only... so that would indicate that he didn't benefit from my immunity (I had it when I was 16, but not a very severe case)
Thanks Elisa! I kind of just want him to get it over and done with. Better now that at an older age, or when we're on vacation sometime! But if he only got exposed a few days ago, the incubation period is a couple weeks. So probably another week in the house...oh well, no excuse not to do some spring cleaning!
Honey ~
On the chicken pox, about the only long-term worry, and it's not a big one, is that we who have had it are a bit more susceptible to shingles in our later years. But just a bit more. And yes, it is good when they get it out of the way.
Love, Dad
Post a Comment