Chicken Pox

[chica]

Looks like we have been invaded by aliens, my twins seem to have chicken pox, although I have looked it up on the internet the pictures of the rash, are not quite like what my kids have, it looks like they have a lot of gnat bites, my little man is scratching like mad so is now covered in scabs, little girl is less scratchy so no nasty scabs for her, I am smothering them in sudacream which seems to be helping with the itch. Calomine lotion did not seem to help. Has anyone else got any tips?

[Veritee]

I am no expert but are your children inoculated against German measles, i.e Rubella?
because the itchiness makes it a possibility it could be Rubella but as they scab it could also be Chicken Pox!

Try these sites for info:
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleID=97
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=327§ionId=2006
www.allkids.co.uk/child-health.shtml

but of course without seeing them I can't tell and they have probably had the rubella jab ( and the ordinary measles jab?) so if they have the only thing it can be is Chicken Pox

Chicken Pox spots do scab if you scratch them and while not as itchy as rubella are still a bit itchy.

I don't think Rubella scabs though so this does sound like chicken Pox because of this.

With Rubella children under 10 rarely feel very ill and get symptoms before the spots appear as it also is with Chicken Pox .
Again they tend to be ill and have a temperature before the spots arrive i.e in the week before, when the spots come out they tend to feel better.

The spots for chicken Pox can last as long as 3 weeks yet they feel fine, but are still infectious until the last spot is gone ( we could not let Caja go to school when she had Chicken Pox as the schools do not let them go, so we went on holiday for a week to use up the time - we went somewhere quite remote were she would not mix with anyone but ourselves and no other children! we had a great time as this was one of our few family holidays!)

As far as I remember Rubella spots are much shorter in the time they last 5 to 10 days at most


- I had it as a child as did all my siblings but Caja was inoculated against it so I am drawing on memories over 40 years old plus my experience when I worked in a nursery in the 1970s at the beginning of my career with children when fewer had the immunizations and a friends child who had it when Caja was young because her mum did not want her children to have the jabs.

There are now viruses too that cause spots. Barry brought home a corker of a spotty virus from Brazil only 2 years ago that we will never forget as it lasted 3 weeks we were both covered in spots and felt really ill - but these spots did not scab.

Well that all I can offer

I hope it helps? can you take them to the GP have it confirmed if it is not obvious which they have ?

Love Veritee

PS for the itchiness I used something called Eurax which is much more effective than Calomine - it says on the bottle 'Stops itching fast' but I do not know if you can get it form chemists where you are?

[Veritee]

It is best not to let them scratch if you can

Sooner said than done I know?

But if it is Chicken Pox every one that they scratch and scabs badly risks a permanent scar - not very good if its on their face.

I used cotton gloves for Caja and lots of Eurax

www.expresschemist.co.uk/category_1499_eurax.html&gclid=CIWPxZS4nooCFSUJZwod9nnvTw

I am sure you know all this so forgive me if I sound like I am teaching you to suck eggs..........but I just thought I would give you all the info I have on it!

[chica]

Thank you Veritee,
I am still not really sure what it is, they do not seem to have puss filled blisters but maybe it is still early days, at the moment they are just very itchy and look like lots of bites.
I am keeping them off school to be on the safe side, health wise they are fine and full of beans, although they have had a cold and temperature about 10 days ago, which would be following the pattern of chicken pox!!
I am beginning to itch myself just typing this, now I know what a dog must feel like when he has fleas!!! Only kidding.
Oh the joys of parenting!
Just as I am typing this, my little girl has just come in and flashed me her bare butt, "Mum I have another spot"! This time it is definately puss filled, she thinks it is great fun, and wonders if she gets anymore will she get feathers like a real chicken.....I have a very funny feeling I am in for an exhausting few days.
I hope you are well, I here you are in for some snow, if so can you send some over here, so my children can roll in it to cool their skin down.
Love and hugs
Chica

[cazfletcher]

2 cups baking soda in a warm bath for 10 mins , then put the cream on when they are dry worked like a charm when i had chickenpox!! good luck

[cheshire]

Hi Chica

How are your two?

My little bundle of joy had chicken pox at about 6 months - he couldn't sleep at all as he was literally covered from head to toe.
Eventually got anti-h's which worked a treat and gave us all some relief

Hope they're better soon

Hx