Chickenpox in babies and children

Chickenpox is a very contagious infection caused by a virus called varicella zoster.

Chickenpox is common in children under 10, but you can catch it at any age.

Symptoms of chickenpox

Symptoms first appear between 10 and 21 days of becoming infected with chickenpox.

These can include:

• high temperature
• feeling unwell
• aches and pains
• rash
• loss of appetite or babies may have problems with feeding

The first sign of chickenpox is usually red spots, these can be anywhere on the body. These spots then fill with fluid and become blisters, which may burst. The spots and blisters will then scab over.

Spots around the genitals can cause pain when weeing (urinating).

Symptoms are usually worse in adults.

How chickenpox spreads

You can catch chickenpox by being in the same room as someone who has it or touching clothes or bedding that have fluid from chickenpox blisters on them.

Chickenpox is infectious from 1 to 2 days before the rash appears until after the blisters have all crusted over.

If your child has chickenpox, call their school or creche so that they can inform other parents.

Keep children with chickenpox away from:

• pregnant women
• people who have serious health conditions
• babies
• childcare facilities like creches and childminders
• school
• airplanes

Wait until all lesions have crusted over.

Treatment

Most children with chickenpox recover after a week of symptoms appearing, without needing to see a GP.

You can treat your child at home by:

• giving them plenty of fluids – it is important they do not become dehydrated
• dressing them in light clothing such as cotton – to keep them cool and reduce itching
• bathing them in lukewarm water – a hot bath can make the itch worse
• patting their skin dry after a bath, don’t rub
• putting socks on their hands at night to stop them from scratching
• giving them child paracetamol – to reduce pain and high temperatures
• keeping their fingernails short – to avoid them damaging their skin from scratching

Blisters in the mouth

If your child has blisters in their mouth, they might be sore there and not want to eat or drink. Don’t give them any salty or spicy foods that could hurt their mouth. Ice lollies can be a good way of getting fluids into your child if they are not drinking.

Medication to treat chickenpox

You can also speak to your pharmacist about medications to treat your child’s symptoms, such as:

• a soothing cream or gel – to reduce itching
• sedating antihistamines – to reduce itching and help children over one year old to sleep

Sometimes antiviral medication may be prescribed to treat chickenpox. This may be recommended for:

• babies younger than 1 month
• children with diseases or taking medicines that affect their immune system
• children with heart or lung diseases
• children with certain skin conditions

This medicine needs to be taken within 24 hours of the spots coming out. This is why it is important to contact your GP urgently if your child is in one of these risk groups.

Complications

Complications of chickenpox are rare in healthy children. These can include:

• skin infections – when spots or blisters become infected with bacteria. Antibiotic medicines or cream may be needed if this happens
• lung infections – like pneumonia
• inflammation of the brain

Vaccine

The chickenpox vaccine is not part of the routine childhood vaccination programme in Ireland.

You can pay to get the vaccine from your GP. It can be given to anyone over 12 months old.

Two doses of the vaccine are needed, at least 4 weeks apart.

Side effects of the vaccine may include:

• pain, redness or swelling in the arm or leg
• fever
• rash

The vaccine is not recommended for those who have weak immune systems.

Shingles and children

Shingles is an infection of a nerve that causes a painful rash. It can occur in all ages, including children. It tends to more common as you get older.

If you’ve had chickenpox the virus stays in your body – this virus can trigger shingles in later life.

Shingles can be triggered by stress, certain conditions, or treatments like chemotherapy.

You can’t catch shingles from someone else. However, you can catch chickenpox from someone with shingles if you have never had chickenpox before or are not immune.

When to get medical help

Contact your GP immediately if you think your child has chickenpox and they:

• are under 1 month old
• have heart or lung diseases
• are on chemotherapy, immunosuppressants or steroids
• have a disease that affects their immune system – like HIV or a bone marrow disease

Call ahead before going to your GP if you think your child has chickenpox. They may need to take some precautions to prevent the infection spreading to other patients.

Call your GP urgently if your child has chickenpox and they have:

• redness, pain and heat in the skin around a blister or spot
• breathing problems
• symptoms of dehydration
• certain skin conditions like eczema
• headaches that don’t go away after giving paracetamol, or are getting worse

Call your nearest hospital emergency department that treats children if your child has chickenpox and they:

• have trouble walking or are very weak
• are drowsy or hard to wake

Call 999 or 112 if your child has chickenpox and they have a fit or seizure. Make sure the hospital emergency department or the ambulance call-taker know that your child has chickenpox, so they can take appropriate precautions to prevent the infection from spreading.

Chickenpox if you are pregnant

If you are pregnant and you have never had chickenpox before, or are not sure, contact your GP or maternity hospital as soon as possible after coming into contact with chickenpox.