Chickenpox symptoms in babies

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi My Linh - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital. Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi My Linh has 12 years of experience in diagnosing and treating pediatric diseases.
Chickenpox is an acute infectious disease caused by the Varicella Zoster virus. Chickenpox in infants is especially dangerous because the children's resistance is low, the disease spreads quickly, causing dangerous complications.

1. What is chickenpox?

Chickenpox, also known as chicken pox, is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus. The disease usually occurs in young children, rarely causing serious complications. However, chickenpox in infants, especially the case of children under 1 month of age, is extremely dangerous, because the child's resistance is still weak, the disease spreads quickly, easily leading to serious complications.
The initial manifestations of chickenpox include high fever, inflamed blisters all over the body, crying and restless children. Children with chickenpox need to be isolated to avoid infection and quickly taken to a medical facility to be given the most appropriate treatment by a doctor.
Normally, people only get chickenpox once in their life. You will not be exposed to chickenpox again once you are sick. Vaccination against chickenpox is the most effective way to prevent the disease.

2. Causes of chickenpox in babies

Chickenpox is common in children over one year old, cases of chickenpox in infants are rare but extremely dangerous because the child's resistance is still weak.
Causes of chickenpox in infants include:
Due to transmission from the mother: If the mother has chickenpox during pregnancy, the fetus will be born with the disease in the body. When conditions are favorable, the disease will develop. Especially for pregnant mothers with chickenpox in the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus is at high risk of health abnormalities such as skull malformations, microcephaly syndrome, multiple heart defects....
Caused by infection : Chickenpox is an infectious disease that can be transmitted by respiratory droplets and skin contact. In case a mother has chickenpox while breastfeeding or a relative has chickenpox, it is very easy to spread the infection to the baby when holding and touching the child. Therefore, if a mother or a loved one has any health problems, it is necessary to immediately isolate the child, stop breastfeeding to avoid transmitting chickenpox virus in the newborn.

3. Symptoms of chickenpox in babies

After being exposed to the agent that causes chickenpox, the incubation period lasts from 1 to 3 weeks, during which time the child may feel normal Chickenpox virus in the child's body can be transmitted to others from about a day before the first signs of the disease to five days after the appearance of red spots on the skin.
Symptoms of chickenpox in infants include: high fever, body temperature between 39 - 39.5 degrees Celsius, Red rash, fussiness, discomfort, body itching. Initially, the rash appears on the face, then spreads to the abdomen, limbs and then spreads to the whole body. From these rashes will form blisters. It is estimated that a 3-month-old baby with chickenpox will have the number of blisters from 250-500.
Before the symptoms of chickenpox flare up, mothers should watch for warning signs such as mild cough, runny nose, little feeding, skipping feed, wheezing. These signs may appear 2 to 3 days before the rash appears.
Mother can distinguish chickenpox from other diseases such as measles, typhus by the following signs:
Red, bean-shaped red spots, very itchy. The red spot swells up like a burn, inside there is a cloudy white fluid. After 2-3 days, the nodules turn scabs. When the spots disappear, the eyes leave small spots on the skin.

4. How to treat chickenpox in babies

In case a child under 3 months has chickenpox, it is necessary to take the child to a medical facility to be diagnosed and treated by a doctor. To help the treatment of chickenpox in babies effectively, mothers can:
Keep the baby cool, especially in chickenpox spots. Do not let the child scratch when it feels itchy. Trim fingernails to avoid skin damage. Maintain bathing and hygiene for children but need to be done gently so that the chickenpox nodules do not burst. When the chickenpox nodules burst, methylene blue can be applied to prevent infection. However, it is necessary to apply the medicine according to the doctor's instructions, not using it at home can be dangerous for the child.

5. How to prevent chickenpox in babies

To prevent chickenpox in babies, mothers should get chickenpox vaccine 3 to 6 months before pregnancy. Antibodies in the virus from the mother can be transmitted to the fetus through the blood. Once the baby is born, antibodies continue to be passed from mother to baby through breast milk, which will help protect the newborn from the risk of chickenpox during the first year of life.
Breastfeeding mothers have chickenpox, need to temporarily stop breastfeeding until the disease is cured. Separate mother from child, do not hug, lie next to child. Relatives with chickenpox should limit contact with children to avoid transmission of the disease.
In case pregnant women have not been vaccinated against chickenpox, it is necessary to protect themselves against the risk of disease, especially in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy.
When the child is 12 months old. Parents can give their children the chickenpox vaccine according to the vaccination schedule of the medical facility.

Chickenpox is a dangerous disease that can leave complications if it is not examined and cared for well. Therefore, when children show signs of chickenpox, parents need to soon take their children to medical facilities and specialized hospitals for examination and treatment.
Pediatrics department at Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for receiving and examining diseases that infants and young children are susceptible to: viral fever, bacterial fever, otitis media, pneumonia in children, .... With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.
If you have a need for consultation and examination at Vinmec Hospitals under the nationwide health system, please book an appointment on the website for service.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.