FREAKING OUT - CHILD WITH CHICKEN POX

amother

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 11:17 am

My five year old has a suspicious looking rash on her stomach and back, a little on her legs and has been complaining of itchiness. No fever, acting totally normal, etc. I'm 99% sure that she was vaccinated for it, but I don't understand her immunization card. I'm in Israel and I'm finding it impossible to follow. Her kindergarden graduation is tomorrow and I just saw the spots a little while ago (5pm - doc office closes at 6) I know that she had a few spots a couple days ago, but I just assumed they were mosquito bites.

I called the doctor and the secretary told me that it is probably chicken pox, which means I can not bring her in b/c it poses a risk to any newborns or pregnant women who go there. But I am not even sure if it is chicken pox! Who says it's not rubella or measles or something else? Maybe it's nothing? I'm so frustrated and freaking out. I am in my 5th month pregnancy and am not immune to MMR. I am soooo nervous. Hubby is away so I can not even stay away from her.

What should I do??? Should I just assume it's chicken pox? How can I get the doctor to see her? HELP!!!

Scrabble123

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 11:24 am

The Dr. will see her at the end of the day.

You can also ask an older neighbor to take a look. The eldery know the difference between chicken pox, measles, and other viral examthems. Although that cannot replace a physician's diagnosis, it may calm you for the time being.

bubbebia

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 11:34 am

Chicken pox, on the scale of infectious diseases, is pretty low, but it is dangerous to those who are immunosuppressed and is highly contagious until all the blisters have scabbed over. Clearly she'll miss graduation, unfortunately. Cut back her nails as far as you can and have her soak in cool Aveeno baths. It's not a biggie, but this also means all you other kids and those in her class have been exposed. You need to let her teachers and other mothers know. You should also know that just because she was immunized doesn't mean she achieved adequate immunity levels. It's not that uncommon. Hey, I had actual chicken pox twice for that same reason. So calm down, it's not that big a deal.

bubbebia

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 11:36 am

SplitPea

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 11:51 am

I have had 3 kids with chicken pox.
If you want to pm or post pics they are pretty distinct and I can probably tell you with 90% Certainty.

The chicken pox vaccine is one of the LEAST effective shots given so its not too rare that kids still get it.

For the itching Oatmeal baths, and believe it or not vagisel cream! Once they scab over you are no longer contagious.

Chicken pox and measles look nothing like each other. It's most often confused with a really bad case of hand foot and mouth deasease (but those tend to cluster and tend to start on the mouth hands and feet before spreading)

It's really okay. She is will be okay. Try to keep her from scratching. Benadryl if needed, Tylenol NOT MOTRIN.

(Hugs) its over in a week and really not too hard.

deena19k

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 11:58 am

It probably is chicken pox. I live in har nof, and I heard that chicken pox is going around all the gans here now.
If you want to know if your child had the vaccine, you have to check the pincas chisunim (immunization booklet). The dr will not be able to tell you if your child had the vaccine, because it's given in the tipat chalav, not the kupat cholim. If you don't understand the booklet, walk into any nurses' room in any kupat cholim, and they'll be able to decipher it for you.

amother

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 12:15 pm

General characteristic of chicken pox is the rash with blisters in various stages of healing (some fresh with others crusting over). Kids are contagious from two days before the rash starts until all blisters scab over. Honestly, I get being nervous because of the pregnancy but don't kill yourself over it (you don't seem to have a choice anyway). It's an airborne disease so both wear mask and disinfect everything. Honestly, my sister had a kid in her playgroup (who was vaccinated btw) who got chicken pox and now she is waiting for her unvaccinated kids to get it. I wish it was in a year from now so I could get my unborn child to have it too. Immunity is much better if you have the disease and not a big risk if you have it as a young child.

Sanguine

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 12:26 pm

Quote:

I know that she had a few spots a couple days ago, but I just assumed they were mosquito bites.

That doesn't sound like chicken pox though it's always chicken pox. She has the rash a few days? Chicken pox have little white blisters on top, they look different than anything and I never heard of spots a few days before. Considering that she was vaccinated for chicken pox and it doesn't sound so much like it, maybe it's not that? Did she have the MMR? I don't think those things are rounding around. It can be a lot of things. Scabies for one (my daughter had that. Is it too late to go to the Dr? I never heard of telling a sick child that they can't come to the Dr cause they're sick What

. the nurse just wants to finish and go home early so she tells all the sick kids ot to come.

SplitPea

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 12:51 pm

Sanguine wrote:

Quote:

I know that she had a few spots a couple days ago, but I just assumed they were mosquito bites.

. the nurse just wants to finish and go home early so she tells all the sick kids ot to come.

Believe it or not on all my kids pin prick red dots how they started turning into pox day 2-3. Most of the people I know have had similar experiences.

amother

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 1:04 pm

My vaccinated child got chicken pix last year when she was 4yo. It was torture cuz I was locked into the house for a week with the kids and it was over yom Tov as well.

However, because she got the vaccine, the chicken poz was very mild. She got much much less pimples and it barely even itched. I did take him to the doctor to confirm that it's chicken pox. They had me come in from a side door and go straight to the doctors office (not an exam room).

My 18 month old son got a few pimples - prob less then 10 - about 2 days after the older one was done with it. He was vaccinated just a few week prior, so the doctor said he got it even milder. He only got about 10 pimples total. For some reason, they did give him the second chicken pox vaccine at the appropriate time, even though he had it already.

Good luck!

amother

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 1:06 pm

Wow, everyone, thanks so much for calming me down...

Here are the updates:

My friend helped me read the card and it turns out she was vaccinated once, but never received the booster shot - I never even knew it existed and Tipat Chalav never told me even though I brought her a dozen times since that vaccination. Rolling Eyes

My 19 month old has not yet been vaccinated. My other kids have received one shot. Should they all get boosters now?

I called a different doctor and the secretary told me that if I am worried I should take her to Terem (emergency clinic) to check it out or to speak to a doctor there. shock

The other doctor, who's secretary had told me not to bring her in finally called me back and said it sounds like a mild case of chicken pox (which is going around Har Nof as someone mentioned - where I live). he said I should email him some pictures and he will call me back after he looks at them.

When I went to take the pictures, I did see a couple spots that had white heads.

My poor baby - she is going to miss her graduation that she was super excited about and probably the last few days of school Sad

Do I need to stay home from work the whole time to watch her? I can't bring her with me at any point, can I?

chocolate chips

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 1:10 pm

Once the spots start to scab over she isn't infectious anymore (at least so I have heard from the drs).

Until then she is contagious. But she also is for 2 weeks before they come out...either way don't take her to work until she is no longer contagious.

amother

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 1:14 pm

chocolate chips wrote:

One spot scabbed over - I think. Or maybe she scratched it until it looks like a scab? How would I know the difference?

chocolate chips

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 2:57 pm

What Happens When You Have Chickenpox?
Chickenpox may start out seeming like a cold: You might have a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and a cough. But 1 to 2 days later, the rash begins, often in bunches of spots on the chest and face. From there it can spread out quickly over the entire body — sometimes the rash is even in a person's ears and mouth.

The number of pox is different for everyone. Some people get just a few bumps; others are covered from head to toe. At first, the rash looks like pinkish dots that quickly develop a small blister on top (a blister is a bump on your skin that fills up with fluid). After about 24 to 48 hours, the fluid in the blisters gets cloudy and the blisters begin to crust over.

Chickenpox blisters show up in waves, so after some begin to crust over, a new group of spots might appear. New chickenpox usually stop appearing by the seventh day, though they may stop as early as the third day. It usually takes 10-14 days for all the blisters to be scabbed over and then you are no longer contagious.

taken from http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_......html

amother

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 3:23 pm

It's probably chicken pox. That's how it looked when my 5 yr old got it last yr. It only took her 7 days for it to be dried up and ready to go out in public. Buy some Calamine lotion and rub it on the chicken pox when she complains of itching. If she got a shot once it will be much more mild. My DD got both shots and still caught it from a girl that came to gan with chicken pox and was never told not to come in with it Rolling Eyes

Good luck, I freaked out too when it happened but you will see it will pass quickly.

amother

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 3:26 pm

amother wrote:

One spot scabbed over - I think. Or maybe she scratched it until it looks like a scab? How would I know the difference?

It doesn't matter--they all have to scab over to be non contagious.

Miri1

Wed, Jun 25 2014, 3:39 pm

I feel for you, my son just missed a major end of year siyum, with parents present, in which he was supposed to perform.

He was very upset, but "ein mah la'asot".

We made up for it in a very special and significant way.
He got over it (and so did I Smile

, and it was a learning experience in how do deal with disappointment.

Refuah Sheleimah!!

Also, you can get a blood test at your OB, if you're concerned, in order to determine your immunity level, (if OB even thinks it's a concern).