chicken pox- will my eldest daughter catch it?

[echo]

OH no- our camping holliday about to start this weekend and our youngest daughter has got chicken pox. The spots started last saturday.

The big question is whether my eldest daughter will get it too?

[Bellenden Jo]

yes!

[Pickle]

Probably. Although my now 4 year old was exposed when her brother caught it, and since many times at school, creche etc, and she hasn't had them yet.

[Knomester]

Like Pickle's daughter, Baby Knomester has been exposed to the pox twice (that I know of) now but he's not had them yet.

[lucyA1308]

i think it is spread through skin to skin contact. Use seperate bath towels, and try and keep them apart if possible, and your eldest might manage not to get it this time.

[snowboarder]

We had a full 2 weeks in between son 1 and 2 getting it. Yawn.

[clux]

2 weeks between my two daughters catching it

[echo]

Thanks for posting everyone, with your experiences.

Our holiday was a camping sumer camp, so lots of communal activities and meals at the Yarner Trust in Devon.

Alas, they have told me (after much thought) that we can not attend. It's a shame as I was really looking forward to our holiday.

So we will have to wait and see if DD1 does develop the dreaded rash. Apparently it is much worse for siblings?

[Curmudgeon]

Chickenpox is spread by coughs, sneezes and contact so keeping towels separate won't help I'm afraid.

There is no reason why a sibling would get it worse though so I wouldn't worry unduly

I found running a bath through a sock full of porridge oats so helped immensely and my children had three or four warm baths a day .. Never used calamine as it can, for some, make it it itchier as it dries

Hope that helps

[cactus]

My son was exposed to it on numerous occasions, but he only caught it recently at school, age 7.

He literally had about 20 spots, and wasn't ill at all. I used the Poxclin mousse, a bit expensive but

it did the trick.

[Mens]

My eldest had it then middle child had it 2 weeks after first had recovered. Baby got it a week after that.

The first had it badly, it was barely noticeable with the second and the baby had it moderately.

I guess there are no rules.

Best tips I picked up on the net were to use: aveeno bath oil and aqueous cream.

[minder]

Your younger daughter would have been most contagious 2-3 days before her spots appeared and then up until they crusted over.

Your older daughter will probably have chickenpox in 10-14 days time but then again she might not.

I remember my eldest had it just before breaking up from school for Xmas one year. Then the second eldest went down with it and then my youngest after the New Year.

[Saffron]

Curmudgeon Wrote:

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> Chickenpox is spread by coughs, sneezes and

> contact so keeping towels separate won't help I'm

> afraid.

>

> There is no reason why a sibling would get it

> worse though so I wouldn't worry unduly

>

The response of a sibling to the virus can be less/worse/same, depending on several factors including: whether siblings have been infected with the same strain of the virus; individual immune response; other health issues for example exzema; etc.

It's often noted that primary infection with chicken pox is less severe in younger children compared to older children or adults; however there are many exceptions to this. Complications and severe reactions can and do develop in young children.

Infants (0-6mo) are a special case. Chickenpox infections in infants is a serious medical condition, which should be closely managed by physicians.

This page is a good, short read: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/childhood-illnesses/chicken-pox .

Depending on which studies you read, Chickenpox vaccine given 3-5 days post exposure to a contagious individual (ie, household/sibling exposure/school exposure, etc), can prevent viral infection or significantly reduce viral symptoms. Here's an example: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0011216/.

[echo]

Yes! My eldest has now got the pox, exactly 2 weeks after her little sister...

[dulwichgirl2]

Poor you. What a shame. Otoh, at Least you know definitively no more hols will be spoiled by it. Could you go in October instead? We look forward to our hol all year so I really feel for you.

[civilservant]

echo Wrote:

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> Yes! My eldest has now got the pox, exactly 2

> weeks after her little sister...

ahem! you don't really mean that do you? :-)

'pox' on its own, without a qualifier such as 'chicken-' or 'small-' or 'cow-', usually means syphilis...

Little children seem to suffer much less with chicken pox than their older siblings. I found that emollients worked better to reduce itchiness than witch hazel and other standard remedies.