Chicken pox
Surviving the
spots
Every year in New Zealand, 50,000 people get chicken
pox, the vast majority of them young children. Here's how to
cope.
Chicken pox (varicella zoster)
is a common childhood illness, and is highly contagious, which is
why it seems to spread through childcare centres and playgroups. It
is spread from infected children by touching, coughing, sneezing,
or coming into contact with the fluid from a chicken pox spot.
Unfortunately, one of the reasons it's hard to avoid is that
children with chicken pox can be infectious to others for a few
days before the first spots appear (before their parents even know
they have contracted it), and it can take from about a week to
three weeks for the infection to show up after contact with the
infected person. So a chance encounter in the mall playground with
a pre-spotty child can suddenly plague your house three weeks
later.
A child is considered contagious until all of the spots have shown
themselves and crusted over to form scabs, which may take up to ten
days. Most of the spots will be concentrated on the torso and face,
as well as the chest, back, and upper arms, with less on the arms
and legs. Unfortunately, chicken pox also appear in the ears, the
mouth, and scalp, and it's very uncomfortable for little
ones.
The chicken pox vaccine (either Varilix or Varivax are available in
New Zealand), which can be given to children over the age of nine
months, prevents chicken pox from being contracted in 95% of the
people who get it. The only catch is that it's not on the annual
vaccine schedule, but costing between $60-$90, it's not a great
price to pay for peace of mind and protection.
If your child does contract chicken pox, here are some remedies
that might help relieve their symptoms, or at least make them
easier to bear!
Top row:
Quintessence Calendular/Urica/Hypericum Cream $20
(www.qhealth.co.nz). Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment Sachets
$19.95. Quintessence Pox Drops $22.
Weleda Combudoron Lotion $19.50.
Bottom
row: Childlife Immulox Dietary Supplement $47
(www.qhealth.co.nz). Weleda Hypericum/Aurum Comp $18.90. Combudoron
Cooling Gel $17.90
As seen in OHbaby!
magazine Issue 7: 2009
.jpg)
Subscribe to OHbaby!
magazine
Purchase Issue 7