Steven asks…
Can shingles during pregnancy be harmful? How do I keep my children from getting chickenpox?
I am 36 weeks pregnant and for the past week have had a small painful rash on my side at the waist. It has blistered. Everyone I have showed it to believes it’s shingles but I won’t know until I go to my dr. in two days. If it turns out to be shingles, how do I keep my 3 and 5 year old from getting chickenpox? Is this harmful to my unborn child? What medicines can be taken?
admin answers:
If you have shingles, your kids are already exposed, so you can’t do anything about it. You should get them vaccinated. But it’s not a big deal in kids (just for the pregnant mom who has to care for them.)
It can be very serious if you have shingles in pregnancy. You can be given acyclovir, which apparently won’t hurt the baby. Being later in pregnancy is better.
Your baby could be born with chicken pox, depending on when you deliver.
The third link below includes a picture.
Donald asks…
Shingles & Pregnancy question……?
Daughter is early 20’s and pregnant, was sent home from work, was told she might have Shingles. All the information that I’ve read, there is nothing on what having this during pregnancy will do to the unborn baby. Does anyone have any info for me or can point me to a web site that mentions this?I’ve been to the Mayo Clinic and WebMD websites already. Thanks……
She had Chicken Pox when she was a child.
admin answers:
From NHS direct:
If you are pregnant and get shingles, your risk of getting pneumonia is increased. If you get chickenpox while you are pregnant there is a very small risk (1-2%) that your baby will be affected. If you get shingles while you are pregnant, the risk of your baby being affected is even lower than if you get chickenpox.
Get your daughter to see her doctor.
Lizzie asks…
Is shingles during pregnancy dangerous?
I am 30 weeks pregnant, and have a shingles outbreak on my right arm for about a week now. I had chickenpox when I was little, so I’m immune. What risks (if any) does my baby have?
admin answers:
Varicella Zoster virus is the cause of chickenpox AND shingles. They are really two stages of one disease. With the initial infection, we get the chickenpox. After that stage of the disease runs it course, the VZV travels up the nerve and waits. It may never get reactivated. If it does, it can happen at any age although it is more common in the elderly. Reactivation causes the virus to travel down the nerve towards the skin and cause the second stage of the disease (shingles).
It would probably be important for the patch of skin on your arm with the shingles be covered to prevent transmitting the VZV. Now, since you already had an initial infection with VZV you have various antibodies to VZV and you will pass them on to your infant (or at least the IgG VZV antibodies) who will carry them for around 3-6 months, perhaps a bit longer, before they disappear. This can provide SOME protection for your baby. But it would probably behoove you to keep your arm covered when carrying your child until s/he can be vaccinated.
I would advise, in your case, to perhaps give your child the VZV vaccine to your baby at 6 months and not 9 months as may be the case where you live. Ask your pediatrician about this. And be sure that your pregnancy care team is aware of your shingles (whether you have an outbreak at the time of delivery or not)
Maria asks…
shingles during pregnancy?
I am now 29 wks. and about a month ago got shingles wich from what Iam told is caused from the chicken pox virus. Anyway it has cleared up, but I still have pain on the nerve it attacked. Has anyone had this during pregnancy and how long did it take to stop hurting?
admin answers:
I had shingles when I was 16 weeks pregnant. I had had them my freshman year in college and they reappeared during my pregnancy. They attacked a nerve on the left side of my neck. I got put on prednisone and zofrax (i think thats what it was called). They went away within 3 days. The pain stayed for awhile, but was not as constant. It felt more like I slept on my neck wrong forever. There are some compresses and massages that will help to alleviate it a bit, but sometimes it felt like that was just superficial. I got some pain meds from my OB that would not hurt the baby that I could take when I was having it bad. I am now 33 weeks and I have not had pain in about 2 months. Hope this helps.
Also, I was told that there is no risk to the pregnancy and having shingles. My OB had a sister who actually got them constantly in pregnancy. Since it is due to your immune system being surpressed and sometimes stress, it just causes discomfort to you. There is no reason to see a specialist or be considered high risk as long as they have gone away.
Chris asks…
PLEASE HELP?? I need more info on Shingles and pregnancy? How dangerous is it?
My hubby was taking care of his g-father who had come down with the shingles and has had these for atleast a month now! However, we recently found out that I am pregnant 8wks and heard that I should not have any contact with someone who has shingles. we called the obygn today, and asked how dangerous this was, even though I have NOT been around the g-father since he has had the shingles. However, my hubby has been going & helping him with things he needed done & stuff. The g-father also has a daughter that lives w/ him (she has down syndrome). But she has come to our house many times since to eat dinner or just to spend the day w/ us to give the g-father a break. How dangerous is it to have her here while I am pregnant or how dangerous is it that my hubby goes or has been helping out his g-father. We called the dr. today & she said that she highly recommend my hubby not to be in contact w/ the g-father, w/ me being pregnant. Can some1 please explain to me the dangerous.
I dont know ANYTHING about the shingles or what it can do to a pregnant women and/or her unborn child. Can someone please help with giving my hubby and I some more info on this!! Thank you!!
admin answers:
Shingles is caused by the same virus as Chicken pox. What happens is this. After you have the chicken pox, the virus hangs out in your body. If it is ever released into the blood stream, you will get shingles, which is much worse. You have to have physical contact with the sores to contract the disease (just like chicken pox) So if your husband takes care of the g-father, and washes his hands before touching you, you should be fine.
Here’s an article I found
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/women-shingles
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