Clark has little spots. They look kind of like tiny bug bites. They're on random places around his body-- his tummy, chest, on his scalp, one on his penis. I called a nurse and she said it sounds like chicken pox.
RSV, ear infections, roseola... now chicken pox? Clark is clearly hell-bent on contracting every possible childhood illness before he turns one year old. All of the big kids have been vaccinated-- I can't even imagine where he would have gotten chicken pox.
Ugh!
So we're going to the doctor tomorrow. It looks like a pretty mild case if that's really what it is.
My poor baby.
Oh, and he weighs over 19 lbs now.
That doesn't sound like chickenpox to me. Those lesions are usually on the trunk and then go to the arms and legs, usually spare the groin area and the scalp. Chickenpox kind of look like ill-defined pimples with clear stuff then they break and crust over in a period of about 24 hours. New batches pop up repeatedly so he'd have some crusty and some new fluid-filled ones at the same time. Also, chickenpox is usually quite severe for babies less than 1, so if he doesn't seem too sick, that's a good sign that this isn't chickenpox (I hope it's not)
ReplyDeleteThe incubation period is usually 2 or 3 weeks, so he would've had to been exposed to someone back then. Also, if your other kids have been vaccinated (can do this at age 12 months or older), they could've passed it to the baby without seeming very ill because they are mostly immune from the vaccine.
i was wondering if you can still be a carrier if you've been vaccinated. the big kids have all gotten their shot, and of course Husband and I had chicken pox when were were little. so i guess any of us could have picked it up somewhere. in fact, Clark had his 4 month well visit a couple of weeks ago, so he could have gotten it at the doctor's office, even.
ReplyDeletepoor Clark!
The chickenpox vaccine isn't perfect. Kids who get it have less immunity than those who get chickenpox. If you are immune, the virus dies pretty quickly after it tries to get into your respiratory system and replicate. But you can have a subclinical case of chickenpox without showing the rash and then pass it along to someone else. Also, people are contagious for at least a week before the rash starts, so he could've picked it up from anyone who didn't look sick. You should also let the daycare know that your kids' sibling has chickenpox so they can be on the lookout because your other kids may be able to pass it to someone else. Check with the pediatrician about Clark still needing the vaccine after he turns one. Oftentimes kids who get vaccine preventable diseases before the age of 1 still need to get the vaccine later because baby immune systems are not great at making antibodies and he may need to be vaccinated anyway. If he gets lethargic or has trouble breathing, get him to the hospital right away.
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