Shingles and Chicken Pox

Hi A.~ When my second child was born, her then 4 year old sister got chicken pox, after having the vaccine!! The older sister gave it to my daughter as a newborn (2 days old). I actually thought that it was baby acne!! It ran it's course and she is fine and happy that she didn't have to get the chicken pox vaccine! If your son gets the chicken pox, he will be fine. Oatmeal baths (you can use regular oatmeal from the grocery store it the other doesn't fit into your budget).

Ask you doctor about Zovirax. It is used to treat herpes but works on chicken pox too. My daughter took it when she got chicken pox at age 5. We started her on it the first day and she had a VERY mild case, less than 10 sores(it stops the development of new sores). It should also help with your shingles. Good luck.

A.,
Sorry to hear that you are having to deal with this. If your baby gets chicken pox there really is nothing to do but wait for them to run their course (at least that is what I remember being told). I was told to give my daughter oatmeal baths (you can buy the stuff for that at any drug store) and to use calamine lotion on her. We also had to keep gloves (or socks) on her hands all the time (and of course trim her finger nails) to keep her from scratching herself.

From what we are told to look for in Day care, Chicken pox will first show up in the warm places of their body. IE: behind the ears, in the diaper region, and near the joints (under the arms, behind the knees, etc.).

Good luck! I hope you get better soon and that your little one does not get them!!!

I had shingles last year, and my natural doctor put me on extra doses of a B complex supplement and Lysine, which is an amino acid that helps keep skin healthy. Within two days of taking the meds, I was feeling better and the pain was virtually gone. Those are fairly common items, so you should be able to get them at a healthfood store. I also had a baby that hadn't been vaccinated for chicken pox yet, and she never got them. Shingles is spread through contact, so try to cover up the affected areas. Good luck.

My daughter had chicken pox TWICE before she was one! She got it the first time when we were in the hospital for some tests, and the second time she got it from my MIL who had shingles (but didn't know it at the time). The first outbreak was when she was 6 months old, and honestly, it didn't really bother her. She was covered head to foot in blisters, but she never really scratched at them. She ran a low fever for about a week. I used Aveeno baby wash and calamine lotion (upon the Drs advice). The second outbreak was much more mild, only a few blisters on her torso and legs which also didn't seem to bother her too much.

If you see blisters, take him to the Dr, but there isn't too much you can do but wait it out. Good luck!

M.

While I've never had shingles, I've known people who have, and I sympathize with you. My daughter was exposed to chicken pox at 9 mos. The doctors said she wouldn't get them due to a natural immunity babies have the first year. They were wrong! She got a terrible case - even inside her ears and on the bottoms of her feet. The good thing was she was too young to know how to scratch and didn't scar at all! It if happens - Benedril. Good luck.

Hi, I know you are probably panicing, but I wouldn't. I have never seen the chicken pox or shingles, but I had them when I was about 10 days old. My mom says that they didn't seem to bother me, she gave me oatmeal baths and nothing else. The good thing is I got natural immunity at a very early age and never had to have them later!!! Sorry that you have shingles...I have heard they are very painful!!!

You really should see a doctor if you suspect or know you have shingles. My cardiologist treated me when I had them once. He said if untreated, it can have very serious consequences. You need a med yourself. Definitely, if the babe contracts, seek out the doctor right away.