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Pregnancy and chickenpox

Dr Anurag Krishna
Director of Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery,
Max Institute of Paediatrics,
Max Healthcare Institute, New Delhi

Q: I am 16 weeks pregnant with my second child. Today my three year old first child was detected having chicken pox. I am worried about the effects of chickenpox on my pregnancy. I had chickenpox myself about 15 years back. My sick son demands greater attention from me due to his illness. What are the chances of my contracting this disease and what is the course of action I should take if I get the disease and if I do not.

A:If you are certain that you had chickenpox earlier, there is no cause for worry. You cannot contract the disease and your pregnancy is not going to be affected. Even if you had not had chickenpox earlier, and you do contract it now, there is no worry as this may be the safest time as far as your fetus is concerned.