Chickenpox
Chickenpox is very common. It is caused by a virus called varicella. If your child has been in contact with someone who has chickenpox it can take 2 to 3 weeks for them to develop the rash. Children can pass the virus to others from the day before the rash appears until the last spot has scabbed over. Your child may also have a temperature, a cough and a runny nose.
Chickenpox starts with red bumps that become small, yellowish blisters. The spots can affect the whole body including the mouth and genitals (which can be very painful). They then open before scabbing over.
Visit the NHS website for more pictures of how the rash develops.
Most children with chickenpox can be looked after at home and do not need to see a doctor. If your newborn baby or child with a weak immune system (for example due to cancer treatment, immunosuppressive treatment or genetic immunodeficiency) catches chickenpox.
Please see Red-Amber-Green tables for advice on when and where to seek care for your child.
When should you worry?
If your child has any of the following:
- Breathing very fast, too breathless to talk, eat or drink
- Working hard to breathe, drawing in of the muscles below the ribs, or noisy breathing (grunting)
- Breathing that stops or pauses
- Is pale, blue, mottled or feels unusually cold to touch
- Difficult to wake up, very sleepy or confused
- Weak, high-pitched cry or can’t be settled
- Has a fit (seizure)
- Has a rash that does not go away with pressure (the glass test)
- Is under 3 months old with temperature more than 38°C or under 36°C (unless fever in the 48 hours following vaccinations and no other red features)
You need urgent help.
Go to the nearest Hospital Emergency (A&E) Department or call 999 - dial 999.
If your child has any of the following:
- Increasing pain and redness between the spots:
- New blisters or spots appearing after 7 days
- Rash spreading to the eyes
- Baby less than 4 weeks old
- Breathing a bit faster than normal or working a bit harder to breathe
- Dry skin, lips or tongue
- Not had a wee or wet nappy in last 8 hours
- Poor feeding in babies (less than half of their usual amount)
- Irritable (Unable to settle them with toys, TV, food or hugs even after their fever has come down)
- Is 3 to 6 months old with temperature 39°C or above (unless fever in the 48 hours following vaccinations and no other red or amber features)
- Temperature of 38°C or above for more than 3 days, shivering with fever (rigors) or if the temperature comes back after a few days
- Temperature less than 36°C
- Getting worse and I am still worried
- A parent is pregnant and has not previously had chickenpox
- Contact with pregnant women who has not previously had chickenpox, person with a weakened immune system who has not previous had chickenpox or a new-born baby (the contact should seek advice from a healthcare professional)
You need to contact a doctor or nurse today.
Please contact your GP surgery or call NHS 111 - dial 111.
If symptoms persist for 4 hours or more and you have not been able to speak to either a member of staff from your GP practice or to NHS 111 staff, recheck that your child has not developed any red features.
If none of the above features are present
Watch them closely for any change and look out for any red or amber symptoms.
If your child has other symptoms associated with their asthma attack, you might want to look at our information on sore throat, cough, earache, diarrhoea and vomiting or tummy ache or our other pathways.
Additional advice is also available to young families for coping with crying of well babies.
Self care
Continue providing your child’s care at home. If you are still concerned about your child, speak to your health visitor, local pharmacist or call NHS 111– dial 111.
Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home. They can go back to school, college or childcare when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend.
Self care and Prevention
What can you do to help your child?
It can be upsetting to see your child unwell with chickenpox. While treatment of the virus itself is not usually needed, there are simple things you can do to make your child more comfortable:
- Paracetamol for a high temperature or pain
- Antihistamines (for example piriton) can help with itching and sleep
- Plenty to drink
- Try ice lollies or jelly if your child is not drinking much
- Try an oat bath. Put a handful of porridge oats in a small cloth bag or a sock. Tie it at the top and place this in their bath
- Pat dry after bath rather than rubbing
- Dress in loose clothes
- Avoid scratching. Keep nails short or apply hand mittens at night to reduce damage to the skin
- Don’t give ibuprofen unless advised to by a doctor
- Speak to your local community pharmacist for advice on what can help with itching
How long does it last?
- Usually the last spot has crusted over by 5-7 days after the rash first appears.
- It is easily passed to other people until spots have dried and scabbed over.
- Avoid nursery or school for 5 days from the start of the rash or until all spots are fully scabbed over.
- Avoid contact with newborn babies.
- Avoid contact with pregnant women (unless they have already had chickenpox) and people with a weakened immune system.
- Now that your child has had chickenpox, they will usually be immune for life. The virus lives in the body forever (in the nerve roots) and may come back at some point in life as shingles. You cannot catch shingles from chickenpox.
The chickenpox vaccine
The vaccine is given to help stop your child catching chickenpox. It is not part of the standard vaccine programme but is offered to children who are at increased risk of severe chickenpox infection and to those with a family member at risk of complications. It is also available privately through travel clinics and pharmacies and costs between £120-£200. More information is available here.
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