Shopaholic January 19th, 2007
The women in my playgroup have been meeting since most of our firstborns were 6 months old. We have been through a lot together as mothers, including most childhood illnesses. However, some of us were not so thrilled when Sue’s two preschool sons became the first in our group to develop chicken pox.
Sue and her boys skipped several of our get-togethers before showing up one day, eager to socialize. Although Sue assured us that her kids were no longer contagious, most of us felt uneasy at the sight of their scabs. One by one, we left early.
As it turned out, none of the other kids in our playgroup caught chicken pox from Sue’s boys. However, that did not mean we were home free. Eventually almost everyone develops the distinctive dewdrop on a rose petal rash, as it is described to medical students.
Each year in the Philippines, 3.5 million cases of chicken pox, and 90 percent of the sufferers are children under age 15.
A varicellzoster virus causes chicken pox. It is member of the herpes family. Chicken pox is an extremely contagious disease and is spread by droplets that are in the air as a result of sneezing, coughing, spitting, and even drooling.
Symptoms are slow to appear. Once a child has been exposed to the virus, it can take up to 20 days for a full-blown case of chicken pox to develop. When it does, victims are easily identified by such symptoms as a slight fever; lethargy; headache; muscle aches; and the hallmark rash that develops into hundreds of itchy, fluid-filled sores that appear all over the body, even in the mouth and throat.
What is frustrating to chicken pox is that until your child develops the symptoms, you do not know whether he is harboring the virus and, thus, infecting other children. Children are contagious from 24 to 48 hours before symptoms appear until the sores crust over.
What should you do if your child develops chicken pox? Some children have such mild case that you do not have to do anything.
Give you child a baking soda bath to soothe itching. Do not overdo bathing, however, it can dry skin.
Dab Calamine lotion on sores with a cotton swab. Although there is no proof that the lotion stops itching, most kids like putting something on their sores. I remember Sue let her child lather on calamine lotion with a clean paintbrush!
Try the commonly recommended oral antihistamine. Try diphenhydramine hydrochiloride – benadryl – to ease itching. Follow label directions for dosage. For children under 2, consult your doctor.
Give your child plenty of cool fluids to replenish those lost through fever. Dress your child in loose cotton clothing that does not further irritate the skin.
Give acetaminophen as needed to reduce fever. Call your doctor if your child is under age 2. Avoid giving him aspirin because it has been linked to Reye syndrome, which can damage the liver and brain.
Trim your child’s fingernails to minimize scratching and, thus risk of scarring or infection.
Give our child gelatin, ice cream, or other soft foods to eat if he has sores in his mouth or throat.
