Pregnant exposed to chickenpox

Chickenpox during pregnancy | March of Dimes

Chickenpox is an infection caused by a virus. If you get it during pregnancy, it can cause problems for you and your baby.

You’re probably safe from chickenpox if you’ve had it before or if you’ve had the vaccine. Both of these help make you immune to chickenpox.

Talk to your health care provider to make sure you’re immune to chickenpox before you get pregnant or early in pregnancy.

What is chickenpox?

Chickenpox is an infection caused by a virus called the varicella-zoster virus. Chickenpox used to be a common infection, especially in children under age 12. It’s less common now because a vaccine is available to help prevent it. A vaccine is medicine that makes you immune to certain diseases.

Chickenpox usually isn’t dangerous in children. But some people are at higher risk for complications from chickenpox, including pregnant people and newborns.

The chances of getting chickenpox during pregnancy are low. Most pregnant people are immune to chickenpox because they’ve had the infection before or they’ve been vaccinated against it. Talk with your health care provider to make sure you’re immune to chickenpox before you get pregnant or early in pregnancy.

What are the symptoms of chickenpox?

Chickenpox causes an itchy rash that turns into blisters and then scabs. The rash usually starts on the chest, back, and face and spreads all over the body. The rash appears about 10 to 21 days after you’re infected and can last 5 to 10 days.

Other symptoms can include fever, headache, being tired and not being hungry. These symptoms may appear 1 to 2 days before the rash.

How does chickenpox spread?

If you’re not immune to chickenpox, you can get it easily by being in contact with someone who has the infection. A person with chickenpox can spread the infection starting about 2 days before the rash appears and until all the blisters are covered by scabs. It can spread through:

Droplets in the air when someone with chickenpox coughs or sneezes
The saliva (spit) or mucus of someone with chickenpox
Touching a chickenpox rash

If you’re not immune to chickenpox, you can also get it through close contact with someone who has shingles. Shingles is an infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you’ve had chickenpox before, the virus stays in your body and can come back later as shingles. Shingles causes a painful rash on one side of the face or body. People with shingles can spread chickenpox to other people, but they can’t spread shingles to other people.

Can chickenpox during pregnancy cause problems for you and your baby?

Yes. Having chickenpox during pregnancy can increase your risk of getting pneumonia and can even be life-threatening. Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be very serious. The symptoms of pneumonia include cough, chest pain when you breathe or cough, fever, fatigue (being very tired) and shortness of breath.

Chickenpox during pregnancy can cause these problems for your baby:

If you get chickenpox during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, your baby may have an increased risk for congenital varicella syndrome. This is a rare group of serious birth defects that can cause:

Scars on the skin
Problems with the arms, legs, brain and eyes
Gastrointestinal complications
Low birthweight. This is when a baby is born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.

If you get chickenpox between 2 weeks before birth to 2 weeks after birth, you can pass the infection to your baby. If this happens, the infection in your baby usually is mild.

If you get chickenpox immediately before or right after birth (5 days before birth to 2 days after birth), your baby may have an increased risk for a serious infection called neonatal varicella. This infection can be life-threatening, but treatment is helping more babies survive.

If you have a preterm birth, your newborn may be at higher risk of complications from chickenpox. Preterm birth is birth that happens before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Can you prevent chickenpox?

Yes. The varicella vaccine can protect you from chickenpox. In fact, this vaccine prevents more than 3.5 million cases of chickenpox each year. But the vaccine is not safe to get during pregnancy.

Talk to your provider if you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy and you’re not sure if you've had the vaccine or had chickenpox before. Your provider can do a blood test to find out if you’re immune.

If you aren’t immune, how can you protect yourself from chickenpox during pregnancy?

If you’re planning a pregnancy and the blood test shows you’re not immune, get vaccinated. You get the vaccine in two doses. It’s best to wait 3 months after the second dose before getting pregnant.

If you’re already pregnant, don’t get the vaccine until after you give birth. In the meantime, stay away from anyone who has chickenpox or shingles.

Tell your provider right away if you’re pregnant and you come into contact with someone who has chickenpox. Your provider can treat you with medicine that has chickenpox antibodies. Antibodies help the body fight infections. It’s important to get treatment within 10 days after you’ve come into contact with chickenpox to help prevent the infection or make it less serious. And tell your provider if you come in contact with a person who has shingles. Your provider can decide if you need treatment to help prevent you from getting infected.

How is chickenpox diagnosed?

Your provider can tell you if you have chickenpox by doing a physical exam. Your provider may do a blood test or take a swab of the rash and send it to a laboratory for testing to be sure it’s chickenpox.

How is chickenpox treated during pregnancy?

If you get chickenpox during pregnancy, your provider may give you an antiviral medicine such as acyclovir or valacyclovir. An antiviral is a medicine to treat infections caused by viruses. These medicines are safe to use during pregnancy. They work best when given within 24 hours of the chickenpox rash appearing.

If you have chickenpox and develop signs or symptoms of pneumonia, your provider may want you to stay in the hospital and be treated with acyclovir through an IV (through a needle into a vein).

If you get chickenpox during pregnancy, how is your baby treated after birth?

If you have chickenpox during pregnancy, your baby’s provider may treat your baby right after birth with medicine that has chickenpox antibodies. The medicine can help prevent chickenpox in your baby or make it less dangerous. If your baby gets chickenpox in the 2 weeks after birth, your baby may also be treated with antiviral medicine.

Can you get chickenpox from someone who has gotten the vaccine?

Yes, but it’s rare. If a vaccinated person gets chickenpox, they can still spread it to others. But the vaccine is more than 90 percent effective at preventing chickenpox. Providers recommend that children get their first dose of the varicella vaccine at 12 to 15 months of age and the second dose at age 4 to 6.

Last reviewed: May 2021

Chickenpox and Pregnancy | American Pregnancy Association

Chickenpox can often be self-treated, but if chickenpox and pregnancy are a concern, there are ways to protect you and your baby if you are at risk for chickenpox during pregnancy.

Chickenpox is a viral infection also called varicella. It is accompanied by a rash, which appears as small reddish spots or pimples. A fever and body aches usually occur before the rash appears. In most cases, chickenpox is contracted during childhood, although there are some instances when an adult is not immune and contracts chicken pox. About 95% of women in their childbearing years are immune to chicken pox.

Who is most at risk of getting chickenpox during pregnancy?

If you have been infected with chickenpox once before, then you are most likely immune to chickenpox.
If you have NOT been infected with chickenpox and are pregnant, you may be at risk for contracting the virus. You will want to avoid contact with anyone who has chickenpox.
If you are not sure if you have ever been infected with chickenpox, your doctor can perform a blood test to determine if you have the chickenpox antibodies. If the test shows that you have antibodies, you are immune to chickenpox.

How will my baby be affected if I have chickenpox?

How your baby will be affected depends on how far along you are in your pregnancy.

According to the Organization for Teratology Information Service (OTIS):

If chickenpox occurs within the first trimester, the risk of birth defects is 0.5-1 percent.
If chickenpox occurs within the 13th and 20th week, the risk of birth defects is 2 percent.
If chickenpox occurs within 5 days or less of delivery or 1-2 days after delivery, there is a 20-25% chance that your baby will develop chickenpox, known as congenital varicella.
If chickenpox occurs within 6-12 days before delivery, there is a chance that the baby can still get chickenpox. In this case, your baby may receive some of your newly made chickenpox antibodies, which will cause congenital varicella to be mild.

Possible birth defects may include scars, eye problems, poor growth, small head size, delayed development, and/or mental retardation.

What can I do to protect my baby?

If you have had chickenpox before, then there is nothing you need to do to protect your baby during pregnancy. Your body should have antibodies that protect you from contracting chickenpox; therefore, your baby will be protected.
If you have not had chickenpox before and are pregnant, you may receive the shot of zoster immune globulin (ZIG) when you come in contact with someone who has chickenpox. ZIG must be given within 4 days of first exposure. This is only given if you do not already have the antibodies against chicken pox.
You can get a chickenpox vaccine if you do not have the chickenpox antibodies and you are not pregnant. You must wait 3 months before trying to conceive.

Can someone get chickenpox twice?

It is rare that a person will contract chicken pox twice, but those with immune problems are at an elevated risk of a second infection. There are also cases where people think they had chickenpox when they were younger, when in fact it was a rash or something else.

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Compiled using information from the following sources:

1. Organization of Teratology Information Services

https://otispregnancy.org/pdf/chickenpox.pdf

2. Williams Obstetrics Twenty-Second Ed. Cunningham, F. Gary, et al, Ch. 46.

Questions about chickenpox during pregnancy

How dangerous is chickenpox for a pregnant woman and is it necessary to be vaccinated? Doctors of medical clinics "Art-Med" answer questions about the danger of chickenpox for pregnant women.

Ask a Question

Pregnancy 22-23 weeks, 4-year-old daughter fell ill with chickenpox. I didn't get chicken pox. What are the consequences for the fetus?

Since you are constantly in contact with your daughter who is already ill, it makes little sense to isolate her from you - the infection could have already occurred. Chickenpox in the middle of pregnancy does not pose a great danger to the development of the fetus.

My wife has chickenpox, she is 12-13 weeks pregnant. She had chicken pox as a child. What consequences can be for the child, if so, how to determine?

Chickenpox in the early stages of pregnancy is not an absolute indication for abortion, the probability of any damage to the fetus is usually estimated at 2-3% (some authors up to 8%) - this is a low risk.

Is there a threat to the fetus if his mother (pregnancy 3 months) communicated with a person who is in the incubation period of chickenpox, although the mother herself had chickenpox in childhood? Is a carrier of infection a person who had chickenpox in childhood, but in this period of time is in daily contact with a sick chickenpox?

1. There is no threat to the fetus. 2. No, it is not.

I am 24 years old, 22 weeks pregnant, I got chickenpox. How will this affect the child, what pathologies can there be?

If chickenpox occurs in mid-pregnancy, the risk of adverse effects on the fetus is low, to reduce the severity of the clinical manifestations of chickenpox, discuss with your doctor the possibility of using immunoglobulin.

My twins in the garden (their group) are in chickenpox quarantine. Two children fell ill in a week, my children did not get chickenpox. I am 38 weeks and 2 days pregnant. What should I do? How dangerous is this for an unborn baby? If there was contact, are the children already infected?

You have a very ambiguous situation. If you get sick, the chances that the unborn baby will suffer greatly is very high. Therefore, if possible, completely exclude contact with twins until the end of the incubation period, do not take them to the garden, because if someone else in the group gets sick, the incubation period will be extended. Then it will be dangerous for you to return home with a newborn. If the babies do not get sick within two days, consider that you and your baby in utero have happily avoided chickenpox.

My pregnancy is 24-25 weeks. The windmill has started. No temperature yet. What is the danger to the child? What research needs to be done and when?

Chicken pox in mid-pregnancy does not lead to developmental defects in the fetus, since the main organ formation has already been completed. The risk of intrauterine infection of the fetus (pneumonia) is slightly increased. The situation does not require termination of pregnancy. Regarding the need for any therapeutic measures (introduction of immunoglobulin, etc.), consult with an infectious disease specialist. The most commonly used expectant tactics, symptomatic treatment. Be sure to observe quarantine so as not to infect others, refrain from visiting the antenatal clinic and other medical centers for the next 3 weeks.

My wife fell ill with chickenpox at the 11th week of pregnancy, before that she had been on sick leave for about a month. By the time she recovered, she was already 13 weeks old. They passed the necessary blood tests from an infectious disease specialist, the tests do not predict anything bad. All doctors say to give birth, but no one has ever said about possible pathologies. What is the risk?

Chickenpox transferred in the early stages of pregnancy is not an absolute indication for termination of pregnancy, the risk of adverse effects on the fetus is present, but not high - about 2-3%. Therefore, in your case, termination of pregnancy was not offered. To exclude gross anomalies in fetal development, a standard prenatal screening program is recommended - ultrasound - 3-4 times during pregnancy, blood tests for AFP, hCG, free estriol at 16-20 weeks.

My sister got chicken pox when she was four months pregnant. Is there a chance that the baby will be born healthy or not?

If you have had chicken pox in the second trimester of pregnancy, the likelihood of such an event remains low. Recommendations in such a situation are standard - to exclude gross anomalies in the development of the fetus, do a blood test for AFP, hCG and St. estriol at 16-20 weeks and ultrasound at 22-23 weeks of fundamental or expert level. In order not to create a threat of infecting other patients, you can contact the medical institution no earlier than 3-4 weeks after the onset of the rash.

At 17 weeks pregnant, I had contact with a recent chickenpox survivor with residual signs of the disease. I didn't get sick as a child. How big are the chances of getting sick? And is it worth it to vaccinate in this situation?

How likely you are to get chickenpox after exposure depends on your individual susceptibility to infections. Pregnant women should not be vaccinated against chickenpox. In order to prevent severe clinical manifestations, it is desirable to carry out treatment to support immunity - the introduction of specific immunoglobulin, immunocorrective drugs. To do this, I recommend contacting a virologist.

I am 32 years old, second pregnancy, 5-6 weeks. My son got chickenpox in the garden, we live together. As a child, I had chickenpox, how dangerous is it for the fetus?

Childhood varicella usually provides lifelong immunity, relapse is rare. That is, you are likely to have reliable protection against this infection. It makes no sense to carry out any quarantine measures to isolate the child - if infection were possible, then it would have already happened.

My daughter goes to kindergarten, a child in her group got chicken pox a week ago. One of these days we will go to Moscow and would like to meet our friend. She is pregnant - about 5 months. I don't know if she had chickenpox or not. My child did not have chickenpox. Do you think we can meet with our friend or is it better to wait?

If you can, please specify if your friend has had chicken pox. If not, then it is better to refrain from contact.

My wife (she is 36 years old) developed chickenpox at about the seventh week of pregnancy, she contracted it from her sick son. Information is very different both on the Internet and from doctors, including geneticists. What is the likelihood of fetal damage?

The probability of damage to the fetus is not very high - about 3.5%. A born baby may experience congenital pneumonia, and a child may also be born with a syndrome of congenital chickenpox (areas of skin scarring, hypoplasia of the bones and muscles of the limbs in the same places, neurological disorders, including mental retardation, rarely - eye damage).

Is chickenpox transmitted through objects, such as door handles, dishes? I live with my husband in the family, my husband's sister often comes to visit us, and she has one child seriously ill with chicken pox, and after 2 weeks the other fell ill. I am pregnant, the term is 6 weeks, my daughter (she is 3 years old) communicated with patients for only a couple of minutes. After that, I washed her hands and face with soap. I did not get sick in childhood, I did everything for myself and my daughter. What to do? How does chickenpox affect pregnancy?

Chickenpox is an acute viral disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets (not through objects). The causative agent of chickenpox is unstable in the external environment and enters the body through the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. The incubation period (from the moment of infection to the manifestation of the disease) lasts an average of 14 days (from 11 to 21 days). The patient is subject to isolation at home until the 5th day from the moment the last element of the rash appears. Disinfection is not carried out. Children under the age of 3 who have been in contact with a patient with chickenpox and who have not had it before are separated from the 11th to the 21st day, counting from the moment of contact. If your child did not get sick, then the infection probably did not pass on to you either. If you have any doubts, please contact your doctor for examination.

I am 17 weeks pregnant and 26 years old. At 14-15 weeks I had chicken pox. What does this mean for the child? What research needs to be done and which specialists to visit?

The varicella-zoster virus rarely causes harm to the fetus. You need to do an ultrasound at 18-24 weeks of pregnancy. Just tell the doctor about the infection, let him pay attention to the development of the bones of the skull and limbs. You can make an appointment with an obstetrician-gynecologist for a consultation and conduct examinations at the ART-MED clinic.

I am 34 weeks pregnant, I will have close contact with a child with chickenpox (rash, fever), I had chickenpox as a child, is this a threat to me and my child?

Cases of reinfection with varicella are rare, but nonetheless known. Intrauterine chickenpox transferred by the fetus can be complicated by pneumonia, neurological disorders, and even intrauterine death. Therefore, it is better not to take risks and exclude close contact with a sick child for at least 3-4 weeks.

My wife had chickenpox when she was a child. She is pregnant at 24 weeks. Had contact with a child who has chickenpox. Can a fetus get chickenpox?

Chickenpox usually acquired during childhood provides lifelong immunity, although rare cases of recurrence are known. In your situation, short-term contact of the wife with a sick child is unlikely to lead to any adverse consequences.

I have a question for you. I am 28 weeks pregnant, I already had chickenpox as a child, an employee (we are in the same office) has a child with chickenpox at the moment. Can this affect my child, I heard that if I myself had been ill, then for me it is not dangerous, but dangerous for the fetus. Is it true? Goodbye.

Chickenpox usually acquired in childhood gives lifelong immunity; cases of recurrence are rare. Find out if your co-worker is immune to varicella—if so, the risk to your fetus seems negligible.

I am 22 years old, at 13 weeks I got chickenpox. No temperature, only dots covered. Doctors, without really explaining anything, sent me for interruption. But I want to keep the baby. What is the percentage that he will be born healthy and what tests can be done for pathology?

The risk of damage to the fetus in case of chickenpox in the first trimester of pregnancy is at least 8%. Methods of prenatal diagnostics (ultrasound, blood tests, invasive methods) may be powerless in the search for defects in the development of the central system of the fetus, vision, hearing, immune system, etc. Doctors' recommendations for termination of pregnancy in your case seem justified. I do not invite you to a face-to-face consultation in the near future, since chickenpox is a very contagious disease and can be dangerous for other pregnant patients. If pregnancy persists, I recommend ultrasound at 20-22 weeks, a triple test at 18-20 weeks.

I am 25 years old. First pregnancy. Term 9 weeks. I got sick with chickenpox. What are the consequences of the disease?

Chicken pox at 9 weeks of pregnancy is a very unpleasant event. Although this infection is not an official indication for termination of pregnancy (as is the case with rubella), nevertheless, the risk of fetal abnormalities is estimated to be at least 8%. It is unrealistic to predict what specific problems with the development of the fetus may appear, the possibilities of prenatal diagnosis in this case are rather limited. If you are a healthy woman, and there were no problems with the onset of pregnancy, then in such a situation, you can discuss the possibility of terminating the pregnancy. I can’t invite you to a face-to-face consultation in the next month, because chickenpox is very contagious and can be dangerous for other pregnant patients. If the pregnancy persists, follow the standard screening program (“sieving”) for gross fetal developmental defects - ultrasound 3-4 times, a triple test at 16-20 weeks.

I had chickenpox as a child. Now my husband and I want to have a baby, and I'm not 100% sure that the pregnancy has not yet come, 10 more days before menstruation. Next week I will have contact with a child who has had chickenpox for a week. What is the risk of infection itself and the fetus (or complications?). Asking because I can avoid contact, but it's work.

It is generally accepted that chickenpox suffered in childhood gives a stable lifelong immunity. Although in practice rare cases of repeated infection are known. The risk of contracting chickenpox in the situation you describe is likely low. But if you are planning a pregnancy, then planned contacts with infectious patients, especially with viral infections, should be excluded. To find out about the presence of pregnancy for a period of 1-2 weeks, a blood test for hCG will help.

My wife is 40 weeks old and has contracted chickenpox. Characteristic Rash on the body, temperature, in general, all the symptoms of chickenpox. It is most likely that she is. Of course, we called the doctor, but I would like to know the following. What is the prognosis for chickenpox at this time, for the mother and for the fetus? What could be the consequences? What maternity hospitals with infectious diseases departments are there in Moscow? Which one is the best and what should you pay attention to when choosing such a maternity hospital?

First of all, you should finally make sure that your wife really has chicken pox. This requires consultation with an infectious disease specialist. Since the pregnancy is already full-term, it is advisable for the patient to deliver. The disease at this stage of pregnancy will most likely not have any effect on the child. It is important not to infect it after birth. In Moscow, there are only two maternity hospitals that accept patients with such infectious diseases for childbirth - the maternity hospital at the 2nd Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital and at the 36th City Clinical Hospital. Both maternity hospitals are identical, and you should probably pay attention only to their location in relation to the location of your residence.

I am 30 years old, 4 weeks pregnant, diagnosed with chickenpox, temperature 38.5, itching. Is it possible to leave the fetus, what could be the consequences, if so, what medicines can be taken?

Chicken pox in such early stages of pregnancy is an unpleasant situation. Officially, this disease is not a reason for terminating a pregnancy, but the risk of fetal developmental defects, including those that are not amenable to any diagnostic methods, is usually estimated at at least 8%. To resolve this issue, it is necessary to compare the chances of being able to still have a pregnancy and the risk of anomalies in the fetus. Given that you have an infection that is dangerous for other patients, I do not invite you to a face-to-face consultation in the next month. If you keep the pregnancy, then do an ultrasound scan every 4 weeks, biochemical tests do not develop fetal defects at 10-14 weeks and 16-20 weeks.

Pregnancy 10 weeks, at 6-7 weeks she had a rotovirus infection. Is it possible to find out with the help of three-dimensional ultrasound whether the disease affected the child, that is, to identify malformations?

There are not enough observations about the possibility of the impact of rotavirus infection on the growing fetus. For viral infections in early pregnancy, only for one there is a categorical recommendation for termination of pregnancy - this is rubella. For other types of viral infections (respiratory, hepatitis, CMV, herpes, chicken pox, measles), there are no such unambiguous recommendations, pregnancy is usually continued, although some risk to the fetus remains. Probably, it is better for you to consult with an infectious disease specialist at the Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. G. N. Gabrichevsky. Given the significant uncertainty in the prognosis for the fetus and the lack of reliable diagnosis of intrauterine infection with rotovirus in a woman with intact childbearing function, the possibility of abortion can be discussed. Three-dimensional ultrasound cannot reveal the entire spectrum of developmental anomalies, including damage to the organs of hearing, vision, and the immune system.

May 26 will be 36 weeks pregnant (first day of last period September 16). From 18 weeks I take ginipral and up to 36 weeks (as prescribed in the antenatal clinic) due to cramping uterine contractions and tone, as well as a slightly open cervix by 1 finger. Almost the entire pregnancy I tried to lie down, because. any action causes petrification in the abdomen. And today (May 24), my eldest daughter was diagnosed with chickenpox, I was in contact with her and now I’m horrified (I didn’t get chickenpox as a child), I don’t know what to do, because if I cancel ginipral and childbirth can come soon and plus I I can get chickenpox and a newborn (which is very dangerous) from me. Maybe you need to do a caesarean without waiting for a natural birth?

First of all, don't panic, as it won't help anyway. You need to continue treatment aimed at maintaining pregnancy and not necessarily with the help of Ginepral. This treatment should be carried out only in a hospital setting, as the risk of preterm birth remains. The threat of premature birth and the risk of getting chickenpox are not indications for a caesarean section. It is not at all necessary that you will get this disease and, moreover, it is not necessary that the newborn will suffer from this. You should completely isolate yourself from the sick eldest daughter and go to the hospital under the supervision of doctors.

The gestational age is 34-35 weeks, the oldest child in the garden, but not in his group, has chickenpox, my son was ill with it a year ago, but I myself did not get sick in childhood. I didn’t get sick even when my son was sick, although there was close contact (and kissed him, the bubbles burst when I smeared them and the liquid from the bubbles got into my eyes). Chickenpox was severe in my son with a temperature of 38. 5 and a severe rash. Is chickenpox dangerous for me and for my unborn child. To take the child to the garden or not? Can I get infected if I didn't get infected through closer contact?

Chicken pox poses a certain risk to pregnancy. Based on the situation you presented, the probability for you to get chickenpox is no greater than for everyone else, since there is no direct contact with a child who has fallen ill in another group of kindergarten. If you still have doubts, it is better not to take your child to the kindergarten for the period of quarantine.

Chickenpox during pregnancy: what is dangerous for a child if you get sick

Pregnancy

Photo: Getty Images

Cosmetologist, founder of the Age Management online school, mother of five children

Chickenpox, or chickenpox, is the most common infection in children under 10 years old. The virus that causes it has a very high contagiousness - its contagiousness is equated to almost 100%.

After a disease, lifelong immunity is formed in the body. There is no need to worry about the consequences during pregnancy and if you have been vaccinated with a specific vaccine. But if neither you nor your family can remember if you had chickenpox, it is better to raise a medical record or do an analysis for specific antibodies to chickenpox. This examination is recommended for all women planning a pregnancy.

Why is chickenpox dangerous during pregnancy? Given the small risks, in medical practice, chickenpox is not considered an indication for induced abortion. But in some cases, quite serious consequences can occur that negatively affect both the body of the expectant mother and the health of the child. The favorable prognosis depends largely on how long the infection occurred.

If you contract chickenpox during the first twenty weeks of pregnancy, the greatest risk to your baby is the development of fetal varicella syndrome . In the early stages, spontaneous miscarriage or fetal death occurs much more often. Thus, nature itself prevents the onset of severe genetic mutations.

Infection after the 20th week of pregnancy can cause shingles in the baby during the first two years of life. This infection is caused by the same herpes virus that causes chickenpox. It manifests itself in the form of painful groups of bubbles localized in different parts of the body. Shingles does not cause serious negative consequences, but it is very uncomfortable to endure.

Photo: Getty Images

Checkup

To check for birth defects and other abnormalities, an ultrasound scan of the fetus is done. To assess further risks, specialists resort to additional types of examinations. To confirm the changes, amniotic fluid sampling is prescribed. This procedure detects chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.