Chickenpox in babies younger than 1 year
Although chickenpox usually occurs between the ages of 1 and 9, babies can also be infected, so we must be attentive to its symptoms.
Chickenpox is an infectious disease transmitted through the Zoster virus. The most likely ages at which the virus usually manifests is usually between the period between one and nine years of age, although this does not mean that it can occur sooner or later .
However, when a baby presents this disease on numerous occasions it is confused with rashes -due to the delicacy of the skin of these little ones- or on the contrary, for that reason we are going to analyze the causes and symptoms of this disease so that it is easy for you identifiable in case of doubts.
Index
CHICKENPOX SYMPTOMS
The symptoms that we have this virus are that on our skin there are a kind of reddish spots or pimples that cause itching, and it is that generally this disease cannot be avoided, since at first the patients do not present any symptoms evident before the typical chickenpox outbreaks occur which are separate small red spots, which turn into vesicles, which contain clear fluid, and finally scabs that end up falling off after a week or two. The disease usually lasts around 7 or 10 days , as the lesions dry and the scab forms, your child will begin to feel better.
Belén Aguirrezabalaga, who is the spokesperson for the Spanish Society of Out-of-hospital Pediatrics and Primary Care, assures that the first symptoms of chickenpox in babies usually appear on the neck and behind the ears: “ The first symptoms usually appear in the nape area and behind the ears, extending down the trunk towards the rest of the body. It is relatively easy to identify when 24-48 hours have elapsed since the appearance of the first lesion . ”
CAUSES OF CHICKENPOX IN BABIES
Chickenpox is one of the diseases that spreads faster , either through the air through the drops that are expelled when talking or sneezing, or also through direct contact with injuries of a person suffering from this virus, although in In the case of babies, the probability that it occurs the first time is higher.
And it is that the time that can pass from the contagion to the sample of the first symptoms can elapse between 10 or 20 days . It is very important that you bear in mind that if you have to take your child to the doctor during this period of infection, notify the nurse or reception staff so that they take it into account and thus can take your child to another room. wait so that he does not come into contact with other children and thus can avoid contagion.
WHEN CAN I TAKE MY CHILD BACK TO DAYCARE?
It is another question of the most frequent is when it is possible to return to take a baby to the nursery after having suffered chickenpox, the answer is that once all the lesions have healed it is the right moment to be able to take back to your child to kindergarten, that is about 1 week after the first eruptions appear.
CAN IT BE SPREAD TO AN ADULT?
Parents have to take into account that chickenpox is an infectious disease, therefore, even if the carrier of the virus is a baby, adults can also become infected, unless they have already suffered from chickenpox, and that is 90 % of people who are in contact with a person who suffers from this disease end up contracting it. It is important for parents to know that their babies can be infected both in the family environment and in school, if they go to daycare.
Although chickenpox we have already said that it is not a serious disease , it can be complicated and more in the case of a baby, so the moment we should be concerned is if the child has continuous vomiting, difficulty walking or a persistent cough, in addition to shortness of breath and a body temperature above 40 degrees. It is also advisable to go to the emergency room if the child has new lesions after 1 week from the start of the first chickenpox eruptions.
Babies are more delicate, which is why they are more prone to complications during chickenpox, since they can contract diseases such as pneumonia, so it is necessary for parents to take extreme precautions .
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.