Chickenpox - What will happen?

In this section

What if I'm pregnant?

Most children get better from chickenpox without any treatment.

Your child can take paracetamol for a temperature. But don't give aspirin to children under 16.[1] Very rarely, it can cause a dangerous liver and brain problem called Reye's syndrome.

Children with chickenpox usually miss about one week of school.[2] But the number of children who get serious health problems because of chickenpox is very small. Less than 1 in 100,000 children became seriously ill.[3]

Chickenpox can be more serious for:[4] [5] [6]

Adults
Babies under 12 months
People with a weak immune system (because, for example, they have AIDS or are being treated with chemotherapy)
Pregnant women.

Healthy people can sometimes get other problems from chickenpox (called complications), but this doesn't often happen.[2] [6]

The most common complication is when the rash becomes infected with bacteria. Other rare complications include:

Toxic shock syndrome. This is a serious condition that causes a high fever, low blood pressure and other symptoms
Loss of balance due to swelling in one part of the brain. This is called cerebellar ataxia
Pneumonia. This is an infection in your lungs
Losing too much fluid from your body (dehydration)
Inflammation in your liver (hepatitis)
Inflammation in your brain (encephalitis)
Ear infections.[5]

Most people get chickenpox only once. But the virus that causes chickenpox does not completely leave their body. It stays on in some of their nerves. About 1 in 7 people who have had chickenpox later get a condition known as shingles.

Shingles is caused when the chickenpox virus becomes active again.[4] [6] You get pain and blisters on one area of your body, such as your chest. This is more likely to happen if you are older, or if you have a problem with your immune system.

People who have a weak immune system can get very severe chickenpox, either the first time they get it or if the virus becomes active again.[4]

It's worth remembering that you can't travel by plane if you or your child has chickenpox. Most airlines won't let people travel if they have an illness that other people could catch.

What if I'm pregnant?

It's rare for a woman to get chickenpox when pregnant. Most women will be immune because they've had chickenpox before.

If you're not sure whether you're immune, it's best to avoid people with chickenpox or shingles until they're better. Someone with chickenpox can pass on the condition until their rash has crusted over.[7]

If you think you might have come into contact with someone who has chickenpox, and you're not sure whether you've had it, see a doctor straight away. You should also see a doctor if you get chickenpox within a week of having your baby.

The doctor can arrange a blood test which will tell you whether you've had chickenpox. If you haven't, you can be given an injection of antibodies to try to prevent it.[7] And if you get chickenpox in the second half of your pregnancy, you may be given a drug called aciclovir.[8] To read more about these treatments, see What treatments work for chickenpox?

Women who get chickenpox during the last three months of their pregnancy have a slightly higher risk of getting pneumonia as well.[4]

Will it affect my baby?

Most women who get chickenpox while pregnant have a healthy baby. But if you get chickenpox during the first six months of pregnancy, there's a small risk your baby could get a condition called congenital varicella syndrome. It happens to between 1 in 200 and 4 in 200 babies whose mothers had chickenpox during this time.[6]

Babies born with congenital varicella syndrome may have:[2]

Muscle weakness in their arms or legs
Underdeveloped arms, legs, fingers or toes
Brain damage
Learning difficulties
Eye problems
Scarring.

If you get chickenpox late in your pregnancy, especially around the time you have your baby, there's a risk your baby will be born with chickenpox. If this happens, your baby may be given a drug called aciclovir, or injections of antibodies.[7] [8] To read more about these treatments, see What treatments work for chickenpox?

References

British National Formulary. Non-opioid analgesics. Section 4.7.1. March 2008. BNF 55. British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Also available at http://bnf.org (accessed on 23 July 2008).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Varicella disease questions & answers. June 2007. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/varicella/dis-faqs-gen.htm (accessed on 23 July 2008).
Cameron JC, Allan G, Johnston F et al. Severe complications of chickenpox in hospitalised children in the UK and Ireland. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 2007; 92: 1062-1066. Also available at http://adc.bmj.com (accessed on 23 July 2008).
Coole L, Law B, McIntyre P. Vaccines for preventing varicella in children and adults (Cochrane review). In: The Cochrane Library. Update Software, Oxford, UK.
Klassen TP, Hartling L, Wiebe N, et al. Acyclovir for treating varicella in otherwise healthy children and adolescents (Cochrane review). In: The Cochrane Library. Wiley, Chichester, UK.
Jumaan A, Hughes H, Schmid S, et al. Varicella. In: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Manual for the surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases. 3rd edition. September 2006. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/default.htm (accessed on 23 July 2008).
Health Protection Agency. Immunoglobulin handbook. January 2007. Available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/immunoglobulin/menu.htm (accessed on 23 July 2008).
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Chickenpox in pregnancy. July 2001. Guideline 13. Available at http://www.rcog.org.uk/index.asp?PageID+514 (accessed on 23 July 2008).

Glossary

viruses: Viruses are microbes (tiny organisms) that need the cells of humans or other animals to exist. They use the machinery of cells to reproduce. Then they spread to other cells in the body.
immune system: Your immune system is made up of the parts of your body that fight infection. When bacteria or viruses get into your body, it's your immune system that kills them. Antibodies and white blood cells are part of your immune system. They travel in your blood and attack bacteria, viruses and other things that could damage your body.
AIDS: AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. People who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) get AIDS when the virus has destroyed most of their immune system. When people have AIDS, their body isn't able to fight infections. So even common infections, such as colds, can cause serious problems.
chemotherapy: The use of chemicals or drugs to treat or prevent disease, usually cancer.
bacteria: Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.
low blood pressure: If your blood pressure is about 100/60 or less, your doctor may say that you have low blood pressure. Low blood pressure is usually not a problem unless it becomes too low to push blood to your brain and the rest of the body. If you have low blood pressure, you may sometimes feel dizzy when you stand up.
pneumonia: Pneumonia is an infection in your lungs. Anything that causes infections (bacteria, viruses or fungi, for example) can give you pneumonia.
dehydrated: When you're dehydrated, you don't have enough fluid in your blood. This could be because you're not drinking enough or because you're losing water by sweating or having diarrhoea.
inflammation: Inflammation is when your skin or some other part of your body becomes red, swollen, hot and sore. Inflammation happens because your body is trying to protect you from germs, from something that's in your body and could harm you (like a splinter) or from things that cause allergies (these things are called allergens). Inflammation is one of the ways in which your body heals an infection or an injury.
liver: Your liver is on the right side of your body, just below your ribcage. Your liver does several things in your body, including processing and storing nutrients from food, and breaking down chemicals, such as alcohol.
encephalitis: Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain. Viruses are the most common cause. People with encephalitis may become less alert and have difficulty speaking and controlling their movements.
shingles: Shingles is when the chickenpox virus becomes active again in people who had been infected with chickenpox in the past. If you get shingles, you get pain and blisters on one area of your body, such as your chest. You are more likely to get shingles if you are older or if you have a problem with your immune system.
antibodies: Antibodies are an important part of your immune system. They are proteins made by white blood cells (another part of your immune system). They help destroy bacteria and other agents that cause infections.

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.