Back to Pregnancy. Chickenpox during pregnancy can cause complications, both for the pregnant woman and the unborn baby. However, the actual risk of any complications occurring is low. It's rare to get chickenpox when you're pregnant. In the UK, it's estimated that just 3 in every 1, women 0.
Diagnosis and Management of Varicella Infection in Pregnancy
Chickenpox is a highly contagious infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus. It is usually a mild disease that lasts a short time in healthy children. However, it can be severe in adults and may cause serious or even fatal complications in people of any age. The complications of chickenpox can be so serious that it has now been added to the childhood immunisation schedule. Chickenpox symptoms take 10 and 21 days 14 to 16 days on average to show after infection.
What are the risks of chickenpox during pregnancy?
Congenital varicella syndrome, maternal varicella zoster virus pneumonia and neonatal varicella infection are associated with serious feto-maternal morbidity and not infrequently with mortality. Vaccination against Varicella zoster virus can prevent the disease and outbreak control limits the exposure of pregnant women to the infectious agent. Maternal varicella zoster immune globulin VZIG administration before rash development, with or without antivirals medications can modify progression of the disease. Varicella Zoster virus VZV is a highly contagious infectious agent and chickenpox is a common childhood illness. Accordingly, contact between a pregnant woman and a contagious individual is not uncommon.
Chicken pox is a common viral infection presenting with fever and discrete vesicular lesions. This infection can be widely detected in developing countries, especially for those tropical countries. The pregnant can get chicken pox, and this becomes an important obstetrical concern.