Chicken pox pregnancy

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi, My 2.5 year old son has developed chicken pox, first spot on Wednesday and now covered in mostly blisters, but still some rash. What should I do? How long does the itching last? When is he safe to mix again? Also, there is the possibility that i may be pregnant and cant test until Tuesday. Am worried this will cause harm? I had chicken pox when i was 21 and am 33 now. Any advice would be great as my doctors are closed today. He didnt sleep at all last night. Thanks so much. Cora Anderson

Dear Cora:

I surely understand your worry about Chickenpox in your son and while being pregnant.

This virus will continue to be contagious until all the lesions in the skin of your son are completely dry, this usually takes about 15 days. In the meantime you can give him Acetaminophen for fever and Benadryl to treat the itching and avoid the risk for scratching the lesions and leaving scars.

On the other hand, If this infection is present at the beginning of Pregnancy or at the end of it just a few days before delivery, this increases the risk of your newborn to develop congenital varicella or a life threatening infection, however since you mentioned that you already had it before, this would certainly decrease the chances of developing it. If during your pregnancy, you notice chickenpox signs; your health care provider may prescribe oral antiviral drugs to reduce the severity of the illness, as well as the risk of complications.