Chicken Pox in Babies

Chicken Pox in Babies

While chicken pox, also known as Varicella, is part of the herpes viruses and can start out as a rash in children, it can turn into something that can be possibly dangerous if it goes untreated. Children under 10 years of age are the most common sufferersof this viral infection and one of the main symptoms is a rash. More than 90% of adults have actually had chicken pox before and are immune to it. The months that kids are most susceptible to this condition are winter and spring, especially from March to May.

Symptoms of Chicken Pox in Babies
The symptoms of chicken pox are fairly vague and can be symptoms of several other diseases. See if your child has one or more of the following symptoms, then see your doctor to confirm whether your baby has chicken pox.

1. Flu-Like Symptoms
Chicken pox is most serious in people who have a compromised immune system, but it can still be serious in children who are otherwise healthy. One of the early symptoms of chicken pox in babies is similar to that of flu, including Headache, nausea, fever, pains, and low or no appetite.

2. Rash
As the disease progress, a rash with little red spots and tiny blisters filled with a fluid will show up on the skin, usually the face first. After that you will find that the rash will have spread to the stomach and chest area.

3. Blister
Your child may get so many blisters which spread out all over the body or he may just get a few here and there. Within four to five days the blisters will have begun to dry up. The most painful areas to get these blisters are the scalp, the throat and mouth and the genital area. As the condition progresses, new blisters may begin to spring up.

Causes and Transmission of Chicken Pox

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The chicken pox is brought about by the herpes varicella-zoster virus. It is transmitted by droplets carried in a cough or sneeze, or by contacting the bed linens, clothing and oozing blisters of an affected person. The symptoms usually show up within 10 to 21 days after you exposed to it. You are most contagious a couple of days before the rash is evident or once the rash is almost completely dry or has scabs.

How to Deal With Chicken Pox in Babies At Home
Babies with weak immune systems or other severe health issues should be taken to the doctors immediately in order to get the best and timely treatment. Generally speaking, as with most viruses, chicken pox can heal gradually on its own, although it cannot be treated with antibiotics. But there are things you can do to help it along.

• Acetaminophen can be given to bring down the fever, but remember any babies who are less than three months old should be seen by a doctor by the first sign of a fever.


• Make sure your baby has lots of fluids to prevent Dehydration. You can give your baby extra bottle or breast feeds, or water if he is formula-fed.


• You can use calamine lotion or put baking soda in the bath to relieve the itchiness. If your baby is old enough and experiences annoying itchiness at night, you can ask the doctor to prescribe antihistamine which has a sedating effect to help your baby have more sound sleep.


• Keep your baby's nails short so he is not tempted to scratch the blisters, which help prevent infection and scarring.


• Give your baby loose cotton clothing which helps to keep your baby cool and reduce the itchiness.

When to Seek Medical Help for Chicken Pox in Babies
You should take your baby to the doctor:

• If it appears your child may have chicken pox;


• If an adult family member who takes care of the baby gets chicken pox;


• If your child have a painful rash that may have a green discharge or a painful red rash;


• If chicken pox is accompanied by persistent lethargy or sleepiness, a Stiff Neck or other symptoms indicating something more serious such as Encephalitis or Meningitis, seek a doctor without delay;


• If your baby is vomiting, runs a fever, is drowsy or has convulsions, seek doctor's help immediately;


• If you are pregnant, have never had chicken pox, but get exposed to it, you may get this disease and put you unborn baby in danger. Do seek immediate medical help.

You Can Prevent Chicken Pox in Babies with Vaccine
The American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed a vaccine that has been available since 1995. The suggested time frame for the vaccine is from 12 to 15 months and again from 4 to 6 years of age. The vaccine prevents more than 95% of children from getting serious forms of chicken pox and it has few side effects. But your child should not get the vaccine if he or she is allergic to gelatin or neomycin, which is an antibiotic that was originally used as the vaccine.

Watch the following video to know more information about chicken pox's transmission, symptom, treatment, etc.:

Chicken Pox in Babies

Chicken Pox in Babies

Chicken pox is incredibly infectious and is caused by a group of the herpes virus. This illness causes mild flu-like symptoms as well as a distinctive rash. Most kids get chicken pox at a young age and it is almost always mild.

If your baby has the virus, it will take somewhere between 10 and 21 days for the symptoms to begin appearing. Your baby is only infectious from the time two days before his rash appears until after the point when all of the spots have gone away (despite having the virus, he is not infectious before this point). Most of the time this process will take five days; if your baby attends childcare or a nursery you should keep him with you at home for five days beginning when you first see the rash. Read on to learn how you can treat and prevent chicken pox in babies.

Symptoms of Chicken Pox in Babies


Most of the time the first symptoms of chicken pox will be mild symptoms that are flu-like in nature including:

• Loss of appetite


• Aches and pains


• Nausea


• Headache


• Fever

Chicken pox is also known as Varicella and this illness usually causes a rash that is itchy and begins with small red bumps. After very little time the bumps will become blisters that are clear and fluid-filled sitting on a pink base and then eventually turn to dry brown crusts. It is common for someone with chicken pox to experience several waves of blisters throughout the illness.

Most of the time the rash will first appear on the trunk, face or scalp. After that it will spread all over the rest of the body. Children will usually have a total of 250 to 500 blisters although some have only a few in total.

Causes of Chicken Pox in Babies
Causes
Chicken pox is the result of the virus varicella zoster and this virus is easily passed between people which leads to the highly infectious nature of the disease. Once your baby is exposed to the disease, it will take anywhere between 10 and 21 days for the pustules to first appear although the average is 14 to 16.

The virus can be passed if someone with the illness touches their blisters and then touches you or if they cough or sneeze into their hand. It can also be spread in the air through coughing, Sneezing or even breathing. It is also possible to get chicken pox from coming into direct contact with the fluid found in the blisters before they have crusted over. Because Shingles is caused by the same virus, it is also possible to get chicken pox from someone with that condition.

Risk Factors
Certain children are at a higher risk of complications when they get chicken pox and those include those with a weakened immune system (due to a chronic condition like Leukemia) as well as those who take high-dose oral steroids (such as to treat Asthma). There are special protective measures that can help but only be used right after your child’s exposure to the virus and these include getting an injection of the varicella vaccine or varicella zoster immune globulin. Because of this you should immediately call your doctor if your child has a compromised immune system and was exposed to chicken pox.

Is Chicken Pox in Babies Dangerous?
Most of the time chicken pox is only a mild irritation for healthy children. Despite this, it is possible for healthy children or babies to develop serious complications including brain swelling (Encephalitis), Pneumonia or a bacterial skin infection.

If you notice your child has chicken pox and is sicker than he should be, you should contact the doctor. You should also contact your doctor if there is a fever later than the first several days, if the skin surrounding the pox is red, painful or swollen or if the rash goes to his eyes.

How to Treat Chicken Pox in Babies
1. Keep Your Baby Home from Nursery
If your baby has chicken pox, keep in mind that he will be contagious starting two days before the symptoms appear. Because you will most likely not know he is sick at this point, the best you can do is to keep him home from nursery until all of his sores have completely crusted over.

2. Reduce the Itching
During your baby’s recovery, the most important thing is to help reduce the itching. You can do this by giving him a cool bath at three to four hour intervals. To give some additional relief, try adding colloidal oatmeal or baking soda in the bath. You can apply calamine lotion after the bath.

3. Avoid Scratching
You should also try to prevent your baby from scratching and picking at his sores. This can slow down the process of healing, lead to scars or even skin infections. One of the easiest ways to prevent scratching is to cut his nails.

4. Use Medications
You can use acetaminophen or ibuprofen to lower your child’s fever and if he seems very uncomfortable, you can talk to your doctor about over-the-counter antihistamines for children. There is an antiviral drug named acyclovir which can be used to help treat chicken pox but most doctors don’t recommend it for healthy children. It is very helpful, however, for those with weak immune systems.

How to Prevent Chicken Pox in Babies
The best way to prevent chicken pox in babies is to give your child the vaccine. This vaccine has been around since 1995 and is recommended at between 12 and 15 months of age followed by a second shot between the ages of 4 and 6.

This vaccine is effective at keeping over 95% of people from developing a serious case of the illness and it will cause very few side effects if your child is healthy. There are some situations in which you shouldn’t give your child the vaccine, however, and that includes if he is severely allergic to gelatin or antibiotic neomycin or if he had a poor reaction to his first dose of the vaccine.

If your baby or child has any immune system disease such as Cancer or a recent blood transfusion or takes a high dose of oral steroids, his doctor will determine whether he should get the vaccination.

How to Get Rid of Chicken Pox Scars

How to Get Rid of Chicken Pox Scars

Chicken pox is a very common disease that can leave unsightly scars behind on the skin. In many cases these scars will fade on their own eventually, but many are embarrassed by their presence and would like to deal with this problem more quickly. There are several home remedies as well as medical treatments that can assist with this process so you don’t have to deal with unsightly scar tissue.

How to Get Rid of Chicken Pox Scars
Home Remedies
1. Vitamin E Oil

Many times chicken pox scars will start to fade within a year of the virus running its course, but those that would like them to disappear faster can use vitamin E oil to help the skin heal. Vitamin E oil will help to hydrate the skin which is essential to helping marks on the skin fade. You can purchase vitamin E oil over the counter and massage it directly into the skin. This massaging technique will increase circulation to the area, which will further boost the healing process while allowing the built-up scar tissue to feel soft and normal again. Use this treatment two times a day, evenly distributing the oil over all the areas that have the chicken pox scars.

2. Lemon Juice

Lemon is a natural skin brightener that can take down darkness or inflammation commonly associated with chicken pox scars. Simply juice a lemon and apply this juice directly to the affected area of the skin. You may need to dilute it if you have sensitive skin. Because lemon has bleaching effects, you will need to avoid sunlight while using this cure.

3. Honey

Honey is an Ayuvedic that is considered particularly helpful in managing scarring on the skin. Gently rub honey onto your face or other areas affected by chicken pox scars. Take care not to scratch the surface of your skin while you are performing this remedy.

4. Papaya and Honey Paste

Take a small piece of papaya and make a paste by mashing it with honey. The papaya and honey combination provides a super dose of amino acids and enzymes that can help to rid your skin of unwanted scar tissue. Both of these ingredients are also good for naturally promoting healthy, bright skin.

5. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is known for providing many benefits to the skin including taking down redness, reducing the depth of scars and ridding your skin of dark spots. Take a fresh Aloe Vera leaf and break it open. Squeeze the leaf to collect the gel inside and place this fresh gel on your scars. Leave this product in place for a few minutes for best effects.

6. OTC Products

There are several products on the market that claim to help get rid of chicken pox scars. These will usually help to take down general scar tissue and inflammation on the skin. Look for products that contain diphenhydramine, as this is usually what is recommended for removing chicken pox marks. The one downside of these products is that you often have to use them for long periods of time to see any results.

7. Coconut Water

Pouring fresh coconut water onto the surface of your skin several times a day can help to rejuvenate the skin. This is considered an ideal remedy for those that would like a quick treatment to remove chicken pox scars.

8. Sandalwood Paste

Make a paste with sandalwood, honey or rose water and apply it to the skin affected by chicken pox scars. Perform this remedy daily for as long as necessary to make these marks disappear.

9. Vitamin K Rich Foods

Foods that have a great deal of vitamin K can help to protect and heal your skin, including reducing the appearance of chicken pox scars. Such foods include liver, green turnips, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, dairy products and lean meat.

Professional Treatment

1. Microdermabrasion
This is a non-invasive treatment that helps to regenerate health skin in areas that have been damaged. Your doctor will remove these damaged layers so the healthy layers underneath which were not affected by chicken pox scaring will be able to show through.

2. Photo Facial
A laser light will be shone on your skin to break down the pigments in the scars. This will also encourage the growth of collagen in your lower skin layers to help remove scars that are set very deeply.

3. Excision
This is an ideal technique for stubborn scars that have not responded to other treatment. Your doctor will surgically remove the scar tissue, leaving behind a mark that is much smaller and less noticeable.

Chicken Pox – Vaccine, Causes, Symptoms, Pictures, Treatment, Home Remedies

Chicken Pox – Vaccine, Causes, Symptoms, Pictures, Treatment, Home Remedies






The incidence of varicella virus has been reduced drastically due to awareness of vaccination in many countries. Chickenpox is a type of contagious rash spreading from one person to the other by direct skin contact. It is caused by varicella virus and it largely targets infants and young children. Chickenpox is characterized by itchy rash and blisters all over the skin which automatically disappears in 4-5 days. Chickenpox remains contagious even before the formation of initial rashes and the virus can spread to others until the blisters are present in the body.

Earlier there was epidemic of chickenpox and after the discovery of varicella vaccine in March 1995 things are under control. All the children are to be vaccinated 1-1.5 years of age (first dose) and those who are susceptible can be given a second shot of vaccine before completing 13 years of age. Taking chickenpox vaccine is the only way to prevent this disease completely. Chickenpox is a viral infection causing red colored itchy rash on the skin and it attacks mostly young children. People with spared immunity are likely to get this illness even during adulthood.

Symptoms :

Itchy rash with small red blisters all over the body is the symptom of chickenpox. The blisters or lesions initially appear on the face and very shortly it develops on the hands, truck and even on the lower part of the body. For some people chickenpox can cause additional symptoms like mild fever, loss of appetite and tiredness.

Stages :

Chickenpox has 3 distinct stages as described below:

In the first stage raised red bumps called papules develop all over the skin. These papules emit pus like substance making the disease highly contagious.

In the second stage, raised bumps get filled with fluid slightly growing in size which would subsequently break open to leak the fluid inside.

In the third or final stage, after the fluid gets discharged from the blisters it forms crusts and scabs which might take several days to heal completely.

The entire episode may lasts from 7-10 days or even 2 weeks. A person becomes vulnerable to spread the virus once he/she develops rash on the body until the scabs cover the blisters. The virus can live up to 48 hours on the body of infected person. In severe cases the lesions or blisters can spread even on the eyes, throat and anus region. It may also cause bacterial infection making things worse.

Causes :

Varicella zoster virus causes chickenpox. It belongs to herpes family that causes many other infectious diseases.

How Far It Is Contagious?

Varicella is highly contagious and it spreads through many ways like direct contact, through sharing of clothing, through air in the form of droplets of cough and sneezing. Chickenpox is contagious even before the rash appears in the body of infected person and until the crusts and scabs are formed over blisters. Any family member who touches the infected individual or his bed or clothing accidentally would develop chickenpox within few days. Symptoms of rash will develop as early as second day of contracting the virus and until 21 days of getting the infection.

Who Are At Risk?

• Any family member with an individual having chickenpox is at high risk of developing this illness.


• You have increased risk if you have not had a shot of vaccine or if you live with infected children.


• Infants and young children are at high risk of getting chickenpox because of low immunity.


• Once you get chickenpox you are not likely to develop second time infection, but the virus remains dormant in the body for several years.


• Pregnant women and people with weakened immunity due to other serious disease like HIV or cancer are likely to get infected.


• Adults who are taking medication like steroids or drugs to suppress immune system for long are likely to develop infection.

Pregnancy :

Chickenpox can cause serious complications to the developing fetus of pregnant women. It can result in low birth-weight and various other abnormalities in the fetus. So it is essential that all pregnant women should get vaccinated to prevent chickenpox.

Shingles :

Varicella virus would remain in the body for several years once a person gets chickenpox. They remain inactive in the nerve cells. For some people it can cause shingles, a type of painful blisters on the skin. It can get activated when the person’s immunity is spared or during old-age when the immune system of the body gets weakened.

Tests :

No lab tests are needed to diagnose chickenpox. Your doctor can easily detect it by mere looking at the fluid-filled blisters. To confirm the diagnosis he may request for blood test.

Treatment :

Chickenpox does not require any medical treatment for healthy children/adults and if no other symptoms except blisters are present. Antihistamine pills and ointment can be used to get relief from itching. If the person develops other complications like fever and Headache your doctor may prescribe pain-killers like paracetomol or ibuprofen. For severe cases of outbursts antiviral drugs like acyclovir can be prescribed. However it is better to wait for few days for the disease to complete its course. For any healthy person, chickenpox blisters would remain anywhere from 5-20 days. It is highly recommended to avoid going school/workplace to prevent spreading of infection.

Chicken Pox Pictures :

Home Remedies :

• Since chickenpox infection can cause intense itching it is essential to trim the fingernails and wear gloves on the hands to prevent scratching.


• Cool compress can be applied on the itchy areas of the skin. Soft cloth dipped in cold water can be gently massaged on the blisters to reduce itching.


• Alternatively calamine cream can be applied liberally on the affected parts of the skin.


• While taking bath add little baking soda in water to get quick relief from itching.


• Avoid eating hot and fried foods while having chickenpox.


• The patient should remain isolated and other members of the family should not share anything during this period.


• Clothes and bedding of the concerned person should be thoroughly washed in hot water and dried in sunlight.


• Antihistamine drugs like Benadryl can be taken to manage itching.


• Remember not to take aspirin while having chickenpox since it may lead to complicated disease known as Reye’s syndrome.


• Your child may refuse to eat or drink if he develops blisters in the throat or oral cavity. Ensure that the child is not starving and encourage him to drink plenty of fluids of his choice to prevent dehydration.


• Any person (child or adult) should not leave home while having chickenpox since the virus is highly contagious. You can think of sending the child to school after the last spot has completely disappeared from his body.

Prevention :

The only way to prevent chickenpox is by getting vaccinated with varicella vaccine. Each child should receive 2 doses of this vaccine. The first dose will be given during 12-15 months and the next dose anywhere from 4-6 years. In many developed and underdeveloped countries this vaccine has become mandatory in the routine immunization schedule. For children who are doubtful or missed the second dose can take 2 shots of vaccine at three months interval. Adults who have not had chickenpox or have not been vaccinated can also take 2 doses of varicella vaccine at 4-8 weeks interval.