Ahh-Parents!

[beach_grl]

One of my kids came in this morning, and Dad was like "he is a little warm, but in good spirits". I felt him-he wasn't warm enough for me to say I couldn't keep him. I told Dad I would keep an eye on him, because he can't be here if the fever goes up.

Little one was ok-not what I would call "good spirits". About an hour after he arrived, I took his temp, and it was 100.6, so I called mom. While I was waiting for her to pick up, I changed his diaper. BLISTERS all over his diaper area! . I then started checking him from head to toe-he had one on his neck, one in his hair, and they were all over his belly.

I told Mom when she got here, that he has chicken pox and cannot come back this week, and at all without a doctor's note. I was NOT a happy camper. Most of my little ones have been vaccinated against it, but I have 2 babies who are not old enough to get the vaccination yet.

The real kicker? She had seen the blisters, and thought it was DIAPER RASH! Even if it was, don't you think blisters on his "area" would warrant a visit to the doctor??

[Live and Learn]

Oh Beach-Grl! I am so sorry for you and this little guy.

[juliebug]

omg hugs gald you got him out of there quick i hate parnets that bring sick kids!

[DCMomOf3]

Oh my. I hope he wasn't there long enough to spread it!!! Poor little guy.

[Blackcat31]

Oh my. I hope he wasn't there long enough to spread it!!! Poor little guy.

Unfortunately chickpox are contagious for 1-3 days before blisters appear and the incubation period is 10-21 days.
It is usually 14-16 days after being exposed until symptoms develop. So unfortunately this little guy may have already infected everyone else. He should be excluded until ALL blisters are dried and scabbed over, which is usually about 6 days after he first got the blisters. Good luck and hopfully the others don't get it...especially the infants. They say that being immunized does not guarantee that kids won't get chicken pox, but possibly have a more minor case of them. My thoughts are with you!

[Crystal]

Ah, bummer.

Tell ya what though. Chances are the other kids have all been exposed already. Even the kids who have had the vaccination can still get it.

This happened to me several years ago. The first child with the symptoms had already been vaccinated. So, I simply told all of the parents about it, told them to expect that their child would catch it AND, I let them all come to daycare WITH Chicken Pox. Almost all of the kids caught it and we got through it fine.

Honestly, I never exclude for rash anymore, simply because MOST rashes are contagious before the symptoms show up, so all of the kids have been exposed anyway.

[beach_grl]

Unfortunately chickpox are contagious for 1-3 days before blisters appear and the incubation period is 10-21 days.
It is usually 14-16 days after being exposed until symptoms develop. So unfortunately this little guy may have already infected everyone else. He should be excluded until ALL blisters are dried and scabbed over, which is usually about 6 days after he first got the blisters. Good luck and hopfully the others don't get it...especially the infants. They say that being immunized does not guarantee that kids won't get chicken pox, but possibly have a more minor case of them. My thoughts are with you!

The good thing is, he is part time-so his last day last week was Wed. He was only here for about 2 hrs today, and about 30 minutes of that was in the room with just me. (I separated him as soon as I found the pox). I sanitized the room as soon as he left, so MAYBE we will be ok. I am making him stay home for the rest of the week, and he has to have a doctor's note before he can come back next week. I have a 17 month old daughter, so I am not allowing him back until we are sure he is not contagious anymore.

[Francine]

My daughter came home from preschool with chicken pox many years ago, most of my daycare parents decided to let their kids come anyway. This was before the vaccine came out and I think they all got them. I allowed them to come to daycare as long as they were able to play etc. if they were really sick they had to stay home. We spent alot of time just chilling out, probably watched more tv that week than we ever do.

[SilverSabre25]

I do have to ask...why are you so worried? If, as you say, the rest of the kids have been vaccinated, and so has your daughter (I assume--12 month shots include the MMRV usually), then why on EARTH does it matter? Why exclude him? The vaccine makes it impossible to catch, right? So why worry?

/sarcasm

I think the varicella vax is stupid. Chicken pox is an entirely harmless disease in something like 99% of cases. I wish some wild chicken pox would show up at my house. Renew my and DH's immunity (making it MUCH less likely we'll ever get shingles), and give DD better immunity than the vax ever could. Win-win all around.

[beach_grl]

I do have to ask...why are you so worried? If, as you say, the rest of the kids have been vaccinated, and so has your daughter (I assume--12 month shots include the MMRV usually), then why on EARTH does it matter? Why exclude him? The vaccine makes it impossible to catch, right? So why worry?

/sarcasm

I think the varicella vax is stupid. Chicken pox is an entirely harmless disease in something like 99% of cases. I wish some wild chicken pox would show up at my house. Renew my and DH's immunity (making it MUCH less likely we'll ever get shingles), and give DD better immunity than the vax ever could. Win-win all around.

Why exclude him? I have 2 small infants here, too. One is 12 weeks and one is 9 weeks. If one of them gets it, they could have problems.They are too young to have been vaccinated for it. Also, the vax does not make it impossible for the others to get it-it just makes it to where they get a milder case of it. I guess I am surprised that some providers would actually keep a child that has a known contagious disease. As a provider, it is my job to try to protect the children of the parents who do NOT want them exposed. I can tell you, my parents would NOT be happy if they came in, and there was a child with the chicken pox playing with their children.

[nannyde]

I do have to ask...why are you so worried? If, as you say, the rest of the kids have been vaccinated, and so has your daughter (I assume--12 month shots include the MMRV usually), then why on EARTH does it matter? Why exclude him? The vaccine makes it impossible to catch, right? So why worry?

/sarcasm

I think the varicella vax is stupid. Chicken pox is an entirely harmless disease in something like 99% of cases. I wish some wild chicken pox would show up at my house. Renew my and DH's immunity (making it MUCH less likely we'll ever get shingles), and give DD better immunity than the vax ever could. Win-win all around.

That is not correct about being exposed to the virus as adults would give you better immunity from or make less likely your chances of getting shingles.

Shingles occurs in approximately one million people a year. It is due to the virus that is lying dormant in your system being reactivated due to stress or a weakened immunity. 95 percent of adults have had chicken pox. Out of that 95 percent one of three will get shingles in their lifetime.

Being arround children with chicken pox will not affect adults getting shingles BUT an adult with shingles CAN infect a child who has not had the chicken pox with chicken pox. This would happen during the blistering stage and with diseminated shingles (shingles that is bilateral ... not on one side of the body or one area of the body but throughout numerous sites on the body) it can be transferred via respiratory droplets throughout the infection.

Shingles is a very painful and very difficult long haul infection that can reek havoc on a persons health.

If the children don't get chicken pox they can not get shingles later on in life. This is reason enough to never knowingly expose children to chicken pox in their youth.

I would NEVER allow a child with active chicken pox around infants. There is a rare but often deadly meningitis that is a result of the chicken pox virus that can kill a newborn or young infant.

Dr Sears on chickenpox: If your older child was exposed, then try and keep the baby away from him during the 7 to 21 day period after exposure. This may be tough, but it's important.

So bottom line: Adults being around the chicken pox will NOT bolster their immunity and prevent shingles.. if they have had the chicken pox they already have the virus on board. Being exposed to chicken pox won't help or hinder their chances of getting shingles.

Infants who have not been vaccinated against the chicken pox should NOT be around children with active blistering cases even IF they were together before the child broke out. Chicken pox is highly contagious. You should never assume that a child who has been exposed prior to outbreak is already sunk and it's okay to continue exposing them during the older childs outbreak.

[SilverSabre25]

Why exclude him? I have 2 small infants here, too. One is 12 weeks and one is 9 weeks. If one of them gets it, they could have problems.They are too young to have been vaccinated for it. Also, the vax does not make it impossible for the others to get it-it just makes it to where they get a milder case of it. I guess I am surprised that some providers would actually keep a child that has a known contagious disease. As a provider, it is my job to try to protect the children of the parents who do NOT want them exposed. I can tell you, my parents would NOT be happy if they came in, and there was a child with the chicken pox playing with their children.

Fair point re: the small babies--I missed that part. Pardon the slip-up.

[marniewon]

That is not correct about being exposed to the virus as adults would give you better immunity from or make less likely your chances of getting shingles.

Shingles occurs in approximately one million people a year. It is due to the virus that is lying dormant in your system being reactivated due to stress or a weakened immunity. 95 percent of adults have had chicken pox. Out of that 95 percent one of three will get shingles in their lifetime.

Being arround children with chicken pox will not affect adults getting shingles BUT an adult with shingles CAN infect a child who has not had the chicken pox with chicken pox. This would happen during the blistering stage and with diseminated shingles (shingles that is bilateral ... not on one side of the body or one area of the body but throughout numerous sites on the body) it can be transferred via respiratory droplets throughout the infection.

Shingles is a very painful and very difficult long haul infection that can reek havoc on a persons health.

If the children don't get chicken pox they can not get shingles later on in life. This is reason enough to never knowingly expose children to chicken pox in their youth.

I would NEVER allow a child with active chicken pox around infants. There is a rare but often deadly meningitis that is a result of the chicken pox virus that can kill a newborn or young infant.

Dr Sears on chickenpox: If your older child was exposed, then try and keep the baby away from him during the 7 to 21 day period after exposure. This may be tough, but it's important.

So bottom line: Adults being around the chicken pox will NOT bolster their immunity and prevent shingles.. if they have had the chicken pox they already have the virus on board. Being exposed to chicken pox won't help or hinder their chances of getting shingles.

Infants who have not been vaccinated against the chicken pox should NOT be around children with active blistering cases even IF they were together before the child broke out. Chicken pox is highly contagious. You should never assume that a child who has been exposed prior to outbreak is already sunk and it's okay to continue exposing them during the older childs outbreak.

Nannyde - you are such a wealth of information! So you are saying if one has never had chicken pox early on, one cannot get shingles later? I have never had chicken pox, even though I was exposed over and over as a child and young adult. I took care of my young dd when she had it, but never got it. I always thought that it was one of the other....either you got chicken pox as a child or shingles as an adult. So you are saying that's not true? If I've never had CP, then I should be okay to not get shingles either?

[nannyde]

Nannyde - you are such a wealth of information! So you are saying if one has never had chicken pox early on, one cannot get shingles later? I have never had chicken pox, even though I was exposed over and over as a child and young adult. I took care of my young dd when she had it, but never got it. I always thought that it was one of the other....either you got chicken pox as a child or shingles as an adult. So you are saying that's not true? If I've never had CP, then I should be okay to not get shingles either?

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you've had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.

If you have never truly HAD chickenpox then no you will not get shingles. You still could get the chicken pox though which can be brutal for an adults. Once you have had it as an adult then you can get shingles later in life.

About 95 percent of Americans have had the chicken pox and you may be one of the five percent who did not. It would take a very very specific family history to make sure that you did not have it before the age of five. Usually after the age of five you would remember it.

[Francine]

[QUOTE=nannyde;52944]..

If you have never truly HAD chickenpox then no you will not get shingles. You still could get the chicken pox though which can be brutal for an adults. Once you have had it as an adult then you can get shingles later in life.

My husband had chicken pox at the same time our oldest daughter did, it was horrible!!!!