Conference moira::parenting_v3

    
    It depends.
    
    - is someone in your family in the mood to stay home for 7 - 10 days
      with your son? You can't take your son anywhere during that time.
    
    - is your son old enough to understand and obey "Don't scratch"?
    
    My daughter was 3 1/2 when she caught chicken pox at nursery school.
    She was old enough to tell me how she felt and was trying very
    hard to put up with the itch.
    
    
    
    Eva
    
    

    Eva,
    
    How long before the pox marks go away?  Emily still has some and it's
    been almost a month..  She got them from her brother, who goes to day
    care.... 
    
    Marie

    
    My daughter is now 5 1/2. Some of the marks have faded a bit.
    But the big raised ones (ones that she scratched) are still
    noticable. Pox marks are scars. They "diminish" as the skin
    grows. So, give them some time. 
    
    
    Eva

    I called my daughter's pedi yesterday to ask her if I should expose
    Avanti to another child who has chicken pox. Her answer was a firm NO.
    Do not go out of your way to get a child sick - let it take its own
    course and time. 
    
    Avanti is also 22 months old.

<    But the big raised ones (ones that she scratched) are still
<    noticable. Pox marks are scars. 

I still have the scars from the two I scratched, oh, twenty years ago.
All of the other ones went away quickly.

        Carol

    LYNNE-
    
    I tried to expose my two to them two years ago.  No chance!  However,
    last Friday my oldest (almost 6) appeared with an "itchy belly".  He
    was covered in less than 24 hours.  He was miserable - high fever,
    scratching, etc.  My youngest (almost 4) came down with them within 24
    hours.  He has a much milder case - only about 30 spots and only about
    10 of them were "painful".
    
    It has been 7 days in our house and both the kids and I are frazzled. 
    I had strep at the same time, so no one got much sympathy.  The kids
    are feeling great now, but they still can't (read shoudln't) go out in
    public.  Kyle has missed a full week of school and is very bored.
    
    My reason for trying to expose them was to get it over with when it was
    convenient for me.  However, they didn't catch them.  The pedi said it
    would take 7-21 days for them to run their course.
    
    Guess you'll have to weigh the facts and decide yourself.  If you want
    to talk off-line -- give me a call (264-4919).
    
    -sandy
    

    Beware of that "not so bad case", it can come back and bite you.  My
    son had chicken pox twice, both were confirmed by the Pedi.  The Pedi
    said it does happen in cases when the child gets a "mild" case.  He
    also got shingles (sp?), which is rare for a child, but this too was a
    mild case.  This was before my other two children were born, so I keep
    telling Nate he may get them agian and again....
    
    Although my daughter has been directly exposed on at least 3 ocassions
    but never broke out.  My husband hasn't had them yet either.  Do you
    think they could be immuned to them?
    

    We have a friend whose daughter (3 at the time) was scheduled for some
    minor surgery. As they were prepping her, the doctor noticed three
    teeny spots on her stomach, and abruptly canceled the surgery! Seems
    she had chicken pox (she had been exposed 2.5 weeks prior). Mom never
    knew, child never complained. The doctor said it may or may not provide
    her with immunity, since it was so mild. He also told her that many
    adults who think they've never had it, probably did, but in a very mild
    form which did leave them immunized. No real way to tell. My three kids
    were all exposed closely just over 3 weeks ago, and none of them have
    broken out, so who knows. Doubt highly if they've had them and are
    immune....they simply didn't catch them this time! I'm sure their turn
    will come....probably right after the baby is born in June  :-( !
    
    --dave--

    My dad (age 64) claims he never had the chicken pox.  Seems there were
    alot of those typical childhood diseases he skipped.  My younger sister
    and her husband haven't had them - what are the odds the only two
    people in the world who haven't had them merried each other!!!  ;)
    
    -sandy
    

    
    Both my younger brother and I had chicken pox twice. Apparently we just
    don't handle the virus well, it must be some kind of genetic thing. As
    a result, both of us have been told to avoid *anyone* who has chicken
    pox. In fact, I recently had to change some out of town plans because
    the people I was supposed to stay with had a mini epidemic in their
    house. It should be interesting when the kid starts bringing this home,
    don't really see how I could avoid exposure again at that point.
    
    
    				Wendy

    Wendy,
    
    Good luck.  I went to an open house yesterday, and the mother af a few
    of the neighbor kids couldn't make it.  She had tried to expose the
    kids, and they are healthy, but now SHE has the chicken pox and is
    confined to bed.  
    
    Meg

    I have twins.  When they were 6 months old one of them got the
    chicken pox.  I figured I'ld get them both through it at the 
    same time so, they shared the same crib, same bottles ( I would have
    the one with chicken pox drink half a bottle, then take it out
    of her mouth and give it directly to her sister) same everything.
    They were right up in each others faces the whole time.  Guess what.
    They other one didn't get the chicken pox until she was 4 years old!
    I guess you can't force someone to get it.
    

    
    Noone has commented about the "chicken pox vaccine".  I don't know
    much about it except that a friend's baby just had it along with the
    mumps and measles vaccines.  Any comments on the vaccine ?  Pros/cons,
    effectiveness, limitations, restrictions on its use...

FWIW, the current issue of Parents Magazine has a short article on chicken 
pox, including mention of the vaccine.  For a normal healthy child with a 
normal immune system, I would question whether a vaccine is really worth it.

Clay

    AJ had the chicken pox Valentines week, he still has one spot on his
    cheek of all places, that's noticable.  Guess that may be a while going
    away.
    
    As for those adults who "claim" never to have had chicken pox, I too
    had the same question and posed it to our internist.  He told me there
    is a blood test that can be done to see if you do, in fact, have the
    antibodies to prevent chicken pox.  He also said that since he's the
    second of 5 children it's quite likely he had some, very minor case of
    chicken pox as a child.  He said that unless he was an only child or
    was so far in age between the next sibling he quite likely had some
    mild form of the disease at the time others in the house had it as a
    child, and was therefore immune.  I trust my internist's advice,
    because he keeps up to date on the latest in medicine, everytime I turn
    around he's off on another seminar.  I'd like to know more about the
    vaccine, since when I asked the pedi about such a thing she told me
    there was no such thing.  By the way, you are most contagious *Just
    before* the spots break out, so  exposure after the disease has
    presented itself, in theory, won't get you the disease.
    
    Now picture this, as many of you know my husband and I both work for an
    ambulance and have had a couple calls for children having fever related
    seizures, generally the parent will hand the child to the first one
    through the door, usually my husband, and mention that the fever is
    related to a case of chicken pox.  Now you've got to picture this look
    of pain in his face as he turns around and hands the child to me like
    he was handling a hot potato!  Poor guy it has to be something only a
    wife could understand!
    
    Lyn

    I'm not awake yet, I forgot to mention the key point in the previous
    reply, My husband, as far as we know, has never had chicken pox!
    
    It was my husband I referred to, so rudely as "he", in the previous
    reply!
    
    Lyn
    

Your poor husband.  Someday he's going to have it and it's tough on an adult.
I know, my husband had chickenpox two years ago and he was *very* sick.

(He started showing pox while in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Can you imagine what
immigration thought when he came home to the states?)

About immunization - after the pox, Steve was immunized for the childhood
diseases.  His parents are dead, and his brothers have no memory of him being 
sick as a child.  He was immunized for mumps, measles and rubella.  The doctor 
mentioned there wasn't a vaccine for chickenpox.  If there is one, it must be 
pretty new.

    The vaccine against chicken pox is relatively new, but is apparently
    administered to "at risk" children, i.e. kids who (because of other
    conditions) really shouldn't get chicken pox.  
    
    "Normal", run of the mill kids aren't normally vaccinated; I'm not sure
    why.  
    
    LZP
    

    Katie ended up getting the pox a month before her 2nd birthday.  It
    worked out great at that age.  She didn't hardly scratch (thank god for
    aveno baths) and it lasted from a Fri to the next Fri. 
    
    I have to say, it's great now because all the kids are breaking out at
    her daycare and I don't have to worry about it.  
    
    For us it was a good age to deal with it.
    
    

    I did a 'Dir/Title=Pox', and since this is the most active of the 3
    notes, I'll post my question here...
    
    What are the symptoms/signs of chicken pox? How long does it last? When
    in the cycle is it contageous? Any tips for helping a 20-month old deal
    with it? (if he has, in fact, gotten it...)
    
    We were just informed that a few of the kids that Nick played with last
    Saturday were in various stages of having chicken pox. Since finding
    this out, we've notices a few small red spots on his head and neck, but
    none on his legs or torso. We can't tell if these marks are pox, or
    whether they might be mosquito/gnat bites, or whether it's poison ivy
    (doubtful), or whether they're blemishes caused by sweat...(he sweats
    like a pig!). Also, we can't say for sure whether or not he had them
    before we got the phone call, because his hair was a lot longer (he
    just got a whiffle...), and our awareness has increased because of the
    call.
    
    He's showing no signs of discomfort...his temps normal, his attitute is
    normal, his nose is a little runny (so's mine!), and he's not scratching 
    anything...if it *is* chicen pox, what else should we be on the lookout
    for?
    
    As always, thanks in advance...
    
    Freddie

    The spots usually start on the torso, then spread elsewhere within a
    day or two.  I believe it's contagious *before* the pox appear,
    continuing to the point where all the pox are scabbed over.
    
    Alex only had a total count of 23 pox (!), at age 2 1/2, and she wasn't
    miserable, though they did itch.  We used Aveeno bath, and I think it
    helped keep the itching down.
    
    Leslie

    My 6 yr old had no symptoms previous to the outbreak.  I don't think
    there really are any - other than a few redish spots on the torso.  He
    came in from play and told me he was itchy.  I looked at my husband and
    groaned.  I lefted his shirt and sure enough - he had about 5 spots on
    him.  Within 24 hours he was COVERED everywhere (even in the ears).  My
    other son age 4 got them 48 hours later and only popped about 20 or so
    spots - but they were painful more than itchy - they were very full of
    fluid.
    
    That's why they are so contagious.  You never know you have them until
    24-48 hours after exposure.
    
    -sandy
    

    I just came back from Washington D. C. after chaparoning 7th graders. 
    2 boys broke out on Wed. night and the nurse wasn't sure it if was acne
    or not for 12 hours until they broke out with more.  They were running
    fevers with it and one had severe headache and sore throat.  My
    daughter complained for 2 days that her eyes were hurting and ran a low
    grade fever for two days and on Friday on the way home sure enough the
    nurse discovered two red spots behind hear ear.  One spot on her cheek
    one on her chin and one on her tummy.  Well by Sunday she was a sick
    pup but she's been better since Monday.  She's complained of a sore
    throat too.  But she had them in her throat on her gums in her ears,
    bottom of her feet and inbetween toes and fingers as well as head, face
    and back and tummy.  Now I'm watching my 4 year old.  Eveeno bath's are
    fantastic, make sure they dump the bath water over themselves for no
    less than 15 min at a time.  It helps inbetween the benadryl times.
    
    Good luck. your heart will bleed for them.
    

    Steven's chicken pox broke out on his face and neck first.  
    
    Baking soda also makes a good soothing bath, and it's cheaper than
    Aveeno.
    
    If you have any doubts, call your doctor.
    
    --bonnie

    Hi Freddie!
    	Remember that the incubation period for Chicken Pox can be up
    to 21 days.  So, do keep an eye on him for a while.  I hope he hasn't
    caught it (for selfish reasons as well :^).
    
    					Maryann
    

    Someone told me the incubation period was two weeks, WRONG!! I breathed
    a sigh of relief two weeks after the first case had been noticed, and
    my hubby and I made a double groan a week later when we saw the first
    two spot on his tummy!  His took exactly 3 weeks to show up, and for
    the first few hours he seemed fine, and we thought oh it's a piece of
    cake!  Not so by the afternoon we had a high fever, constant vomiting
    and laundry like your worst nightmare.  We did lots of tylenol,
    gateraid, benedryl by the bottle, and many cool baths, which must have
    felt just awful on such a hot little body.  But by the third day the
    worst was over and fortunate he only has one spot that seems to want to
    leave a mark.  But those first two days seems like two months long!!
    
    If it hits your house, I'd say gather up all the coping mechanisms,
    energy and patience you can muster!!
    Lyn

    Hi -- I'm a little late responding to this note as I am just back to
    work after being home with my 4 yr old who had an awful case of pox. 
    The scoop according to the pedi's office is this......the incubation
    period it 10 to 21 days, they recommed giving benedryl & aveeno baths
    (buy the CVS generic brand of both, it's much cheeper).  I also used
    calamine lotion on him.  My poor kid was so covered he had at least 200
    (this is no fish story) from his neck up.  They were all different
    sizes.  Many small ones the scabs are only as big as a pencil tip.  The
    kids are contagious 24-48 hrs before they show any symptoms, the nurse
    said that many kids show no symptoms before they break out.  As for my
    son, he came home from school complaining he was hot and had a
    headache,  I checked his temp and indeed he had a fever.  This was a 1
    pm by 7:30 he was breaking out.  
    
    My son summed up the experience well..."Mom, this stinks"!!  Now I get
    to wait for my 21 month old to get them.
    
    Best of luck
    Donna

    
    I'm suprised your 21 month old didn't get them at the same time!
    You lucked out!
    
    Chris
    

    Can anyone out there tell me how long it takes for chickenpox spots to
    fade?  My two year old daughter got chickenpox exactly a month ago.  It
    took 11 days until the last spot scabbed over (I took time off work to
    look after her, so I was counting the days!).  All the scabs have now
    dropped off (isn't this a revolting subject) but you can still see the
    red patches where the spots were.  Some spot also look like little
    craters in her skin, but she definitely didn't scratch them.  I suppose
    what I really want is reassurance that the red spots will eventually
    fade, and I would like to know whether the "craters" will leave lasting
    pock marks.  Fortuately none are on her face, but she has a lot on her
    back and chest - and they are large, about the same size as the blunt
    end of a pencil.  Poor little soul - I still think she's the most
    beautiful little girl in the whole world, spots and all, but she may have
    problems if she wants to model skimpy bikinis in later life ;-^)
    
    - Janett

    My daughter Katie had the pox during the summer of her 3rd birthday. 
    THere was one are on her face (around her mouth) where there were these
    3 marks (red spots) that took a longggg time to to go away.  If you
    look hard enough I can still spot them but other people don't notice
    them at all.   Katie didn't scratch them either, they were just really
    major/larger pox vs the smaller type.  Katie will be 4 this month.
    Give it some time and they should fade.
    
    K
     

    
    My daughter's scars are still noticable after 2 1/2 years.
    They are definitely smoother and skin colored, big improvement.
    
    We did worry about the scars a little back then, but after
    she cut her knees and elbows a few times and cut her gum once, 
    those little chicken pox scars seems to be not-so-important.
    
    Now what we really worry about is her new teeth coming in...
    
    
    
    
    Eva

    I showed the pedi my sons body when she was checking him for an ear
    infection.  She told me that in severe chicken pox cases, it can take
    6-9 MONTHS for the pigimented skin to fade.  I have kept a shirt on
    Michael all summer so that folks do think he has as disease.  My kids
    came down with them 3 months ago and my youngest still has discolored
    spots especially in the diaper area.  
    
    As for the pox scars my son had some that he didn't scratch and the
    darn things still left a scar.  One of these scars is on the tip of his
    nose.  That is the first thing you see on this kid!!
    
    Hang in there, most will fade.
    
    Donna

    Donna, my 13 year old had the CP in the middle of May and she has a
    couple of scars on her face from a couple of real big spots that she
    didn't scratch either.  One on her forehead is okay cause hair can 
    hide it but the one on her cheek diagonally above the corner of her
    mouth upsets her.  However, I have noticed that it too is beginning to
    fade.
    

Does anyone know if you can apply calimine (sp?) lotion to chicken pox?
Nothing that I've read says you can, nor did the doctor recommend it
(not that they explicitly didn't recommend it - I never thought to ask),
but a couple of people suggested that I use it on my children's chicken pox.
Just wondering if this was another available method I could use (besides
corn starch/backing soda/Aveeno baths) to stop the itching.

Thanks.

Valerie

    We used it for my 6 year old.  I don't know if it helped, but it sure
    didn't hurt.
    
    -sandy
    

    I used Caladryl, which is a combination of calmine and bendryl directly
    on the pox marks.  It seemed to work like a charm.  Now it might have
    been helped along by the benedryl liquid he was taking by mouth???
    
    Just remember to either use a new cotton ball each time you re-dab, or
    pour some of it into a little dish and dab a cotton ball or Q-Tip into
    that, so as to Not contaminate the whole bottle by re-dabbing with the
    part of the cotton ball that just touched the skin.
    
    (does this make sense?  after all it is nearing the end of a long day!)
    
    Lyn 

    I was told by my pedi not to combine caladryl and Bendryl with
    Chicken Pox.  She said that the Benadryl is used to relieve the
    itching and that caladryl was just calamine lotion with Benadryl.
    She cautioned about an overdose. Just to be safe, I used only 
    calamine lotion with not side effects.  Warm Baking Soda baths helped
    with the itching and to help the pox dry out.
    
    I had a difficult time finding calamine lotion, by the way, most
    drugstored carry only Benadryl.  The pharmacist had to check his
    stockroom for it.
    
    Diana

that itches.  Much, much better than calamine and caladryl.  Friends
and family have made the transition, too.

Dottie

    Our doctor recommended calamine for Steven's chicken pox.
    
    He seemed to find the ritual of applying it, and the fact he could
    see the little brown dots of medication, as comforting as any
    actual itch-quelling effect in the lotion.
    
    --bonnie

    My son Shane (20 months) was exposed to Chicken Pox 17 days ago.  He
    now has a terrible runny nose and sneezing and coughing.  He's been
    acting pretty miserable all weekend, i.e. not wanting to sleep,
    whiny..., not his norm.  Is this a pretty good sign that he may be 
    coming down with chicken pox?
    
    Lori B.
    

    My daughter just got them.  My son had them two weeks ago.  Good thing
    I only have two kids. :-)
    
    The symptoms you describe sound like a cold.  Neither of my two kids
    had any cold-like symptoms.  Also, my children were exposed many times
    over the course of several years before they got the illness.
    
    L.

And, on the other hand, my doctor said that cold-like symptoms sometimes
occur in the early (pre-spots) stage of chicken pox.

Myself, I have trouble telling if my cold-like symptoms are a cold
or just allergies acting up!  I went to my allergist just as I was
experiencing the pre-spot fever, and he thought I had a sinus infection, so
maybe I did have cold-like symptoms, come to think of it...

Jill

    Well Shane never did get the Chicken Pox but what he did have turned
    into a terrible gastro/intestinal virus which landed him in the
    hospital for three days hooked up to an I.V. because of severe
    dehydration and he also had a severely infected ear that caused a
    ruptured ear drum.
    
    Lori B.