Chicken Pox or measles during pregnancy?

Question

I have a six year old son that may have chicken pox, or possibly measles, he has a doctors appointment in the morning, however I have never had either, I am concerned because I am 12 weeks pregnant, and I was told it is really bad for you to get either while you are pregnant or even as an adult in general. Has anyone ever had either of these during pregnancy or know the dangers it may have on a pregnant woman?

Answer 1

What risks does chickenpox pose for the fetus?

Chickenpox in pregnancy can cause congenital varicella syndrome, a group of birth defects that can include:

Scars

Defects of muscle and bone

Malformed and paralyzed limbs

A smaller-than-normal head

Blindness

Seizures

Mental retardation

This syndrome affects only about 1 to 2 percent of babies whose mothers were infected with chickenpox during the first 20 weeks (first half) of pregnancy (2).

Birth defects are very rare when infection occurs after 20 weeks, but defects involving the central nervous system occasionally occur following maternal infection in the third trimester (1). An ultrasound examination can detect some chickenpox-related birth defects before birth.

What risks does chickenpox pose for the newborn?

When the mother develops a chickenpox rash between five days before delivery and two days after delivery, between 25 and 50 percent of newborns become infected (3). They develop a rash between 5 and 10 days after birth. This is a very serious, even fatal, form of the disease. It requires immediate treatment consisting of an injection of varicella-zoster immune globulin that neutralizes the virus. This treatment reduces the infection to a mild form.

Pregnant women who are exposed to someone with chickenpox, and whose blood test shows they are susceptible to the infection, should be treated with VariZIG within 96 hours after exposure (2, 5). This can prevent the illness or lessen its severity. If VariZIG is not available, providers can use immune globulin. It is not yet known whether giving varicella-zoster immune globulin to a pregnant woman helps to protect the fetus from infection (2).

Measles

Rubella causes what is called "Congenital Rubella Syndrome". The earlier in pregnancy the infection is acquired, the more severe the features of the syndrome. They may include some or all of the following:

jaundice

enlargement of the spleen

cataracts

deafness

heart disease

a small head, together with mental retardation

thyroid dysfunction.



The syndrome could be so severe as to make the quality of life of the child questionable. Most (over 70 per cent) of babies will be affected, to varying degrees, if the mother acquires the infection in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.