Do I Contact Moms About Chickenpox Exposure?

yes since most of them will be vaccinated it shouldnt be a big deal but if notified they know what to watch for and will pay attention the first 3 days of the fever I believe is the only time they are contagous. quarantine them with kids who have had the vaccine or have already had the chicken pox. very seldom do they get it twice. only light cases get it again. give lots of love and baking soda baths and calamine lotion. :)

Yes - I would! I would want to know if it were another child, wouldn't you?

It would be very, very kind of you to let people know... especially since chicken pox is at it's most contagious PRIOR to the rash.

As simple as "We just found out we were exposed to Chickenpox over the weekend, and now my daughter has a fever, so we wanted to pass along a 'heads up'."

DO be prepared for both extremes. Those who get angry over something you had no control over / no intent AND those who want to have "chicken pox parties". Fortunately both extremes are the minority. Most will simply be appreciative at your thoughtfulness.

And yes. ABSOLUTELY limit exposure to people (playdates, park, nixed... try to go to the grocery store on without her, etc.) for a bare minimum the next week to two weeks.

Good job mama! There are soooooo many inconsiderate jerks out there who INTENTIONALLY take their sick kids out and expose everyone and sundry it's an absolute JOY to hear from someone who is so thoughtful!

[[ETA: I had chickenpox as a child (age 5) and it was MISERABLE. Most of my friends ended up with at least some scarring... but I lucked out with no scarring. HOWEVER, I'm adhd, and therefore have sensory stuff. I itched SO badly that I literally screamed myself voiceless for two weeks and was in tears almost constantly. I didn't sleep. I threw up from the smell of the stupid pink lotion. I can only imagine the hell it was on my mother. She finally resorted to sedating me. So while some would prefer to get it naturally, since it's rarely life threatening... I know I for one - and any parent of any child with sensory issues (adhd, SPD, autism)- is in LOVE with the vaccine. ]]

Yes, tell all the moms.

Some Moms might even want to expose their kids to it on purpose...like I would have liked! I had chicken pox when I was little, as well as almost everyone I have ever know (my age) as well most of the lil' kids in my family....all except my 3 kids. They are 7, 5 and 2 and I was always on the lookout for someone who had them so my kids could get it when they were still small (preferably when they are @ 5 yrs old)...didn't work out that way and now my kids have had the vaccine (well 2 out of the 3)...which is such a relatively new vaccine?!?!

I wish they just would have gotten the chicken pox and been done with it, like the rest of us?!

Not sure why I feel this way...but I do.

If I was in your situation, I would tell my playgroup/friends and limit activities for the next 4 weeks... Because pregnant women should not be exposed to it since it can cause some complications and birth defects. It might be inconvenient but it's only 4 weeks, instead of someone's baby having a life long impact.

you can tell whoever runs the playgroup that you know someone who just came down with chickenpox.. and see what they think. I wouldn't totally quarantine you and your child. My daughter just had chickenpox..we thought she had a skin rash.. she went to school.. when they started to scab over.. i said ut oh... the school was not thrilled.. but guess what.. they put a letter out.. and not one child got the chicken pox.. go figure.. and she was in school and dance class the whole time.. sharing clothes like girls do... hugging each other... the only persons i would be on the watch for are pregnant people.. this can hurt their unborn child.. so stay away from mommies to be.. good luck

Yep, everyone appreciates a heads up. Always better to err on the side of caution.

Let people know, but I don't think it's anything to panic about. The vaccine is relatively new and many people still aren't getting it; they'd prefer to have their kids get it naturally. Who knows, you may even get a few requests for playdates! lol

Yes, you tell them.
I would want to know.

Not all kids are vaccinated nowadays... and even some adults can be put at risk if they have never gotten Chicken Pox before. It is more serious in adults.
Ask your Pediatrician... about it and if you should refrain from exposing your child/yourself to others... since you can pass it on to others....

It would be great to notify them of possible exposure. It is very contagious prior to the onset of symptoms so really, kids may be exposed on any given day with NO knowledge of the exposure.

You don't have to keep your son quarantined for four weeks unless he actually develops CP. Wait a few days to see what happens w/ the fever...a week or two should be fine if no symptoms develop. Chances are, if he has chicken pox the rash will show soon enough.

BTW...in my experience, chicken pox immunity tends to develop better from a severe case than from the vaccine. It only lessens the severity when you get chicken pox (which you can get more than once especially if first case is mild). The younger the kid is when they get them the easier it is (later in life can cause more severe conditions).

If my child was exposed to your child I would want to be notified. Just tell them what you said here, he isn't showing signs of a rash but they should watch out for chicken pox.

It would be a courtesy to notify the playgroup. But when I was a kid our entire first grade class passed it around all year until everyone got it. My sister was between 12 and 18 months at the time and had it too. I can't recall knowing anyone who had serious complications except those who got Shingles (from the same virus) as a a teen or adult. It is itchy and unpleasant but I only have one small scar. I never caught it again and have been exposed many times. Also I recall the quarantine being 2 weeks not 4. Or if he gets the disease then it is until the scabs have formed, turn dark red and are starting to fall off (takes about 2 weeks). But go by what your doctor says if you are in doubt.

YES YES YES YES YES!!!! Chickenpox, when young, can be extremely serious and even deadly, so every parent of every child in your playgroup has the right to know that there is even a possible exposure and you need to keep your son home for the duration of the incubation period and/or infection. You would want to know if there was even possible exposure to any other potentially serious illness, like RSV or Influenza or even things like pink-eye and head lice, and I'm sure you would expect the other parents in your playgroups to be honest and responsible by keeping their children home until the contagious period has passed. Please do the right thing and make those phone calls immediately.

Yes T. and yes T.. Avoid exposing other children and most definitely tell the other moms. Last summer, I made a 20 hour drive to go to a conference where my daughters AND husband were exposed to an outbreak. If I had known before we went we would have stayed home. It made for a miserable week....and of course a miserable time a few weeks later as well.

Chicken pox is airborne. Sneezing, coughing and generally playing around spreads it. Once inside the air conditioning system at the conference, all 200 people were exposed. Some were expectant moms....the most vulnerable.

God bless,

M.

Yes. It is most contagious before the rash appears. I have a 5 month old baby and obviously he has not had his vaccine. Consider that when deciding because if an infant gets it then they could die. Just sayin'

You might also want to let others know so that they can willingling expose their children to the chickenpox so that they don't mess with the vaccine. Natural immunity is so much better!