If you suffering from chickenpox during pregnancy, which is a highly contagious viral infection that causes blister-like rash and itchiness, you and your baby might be at a serious health risk. One is likely to develop complications such as pneumonia too. The risk for the baby depends solely on timing. If chickenpox develops during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, particularly in between week 8 and 20 – the baby faces a serious risk of a rare group of birth defects known as congenital varicella syndrome. If the pox develops during the few days before delivery then the baby might be born with a potentially life-threatening infection called neonatal varicella. Here in this article, we will see various things which one should know about chickenpox during pregnancy.

When to get medical advice?
Get advice from your doctor if

• You are pregnant and think you may have chickenpox
• You have never had chickenpox before and you have been near someone who has it (even if you have no other symptoms like rashes)
• You got this disease within 7 days of giving birth

Complications for pregnant women
One is at a higher risk of complications from chickenpox if they

• Have a habit of smoking
• Have any lung condition such as bronchitis or emphysema
• Are taking or may have taken steroids during the last three months
• Are more than twenty weeks pregnant
• Are suffering from pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)

It should be properly understood that complication which arises from catching this disease during pregnancy could turn out to be very fatal.

Complications with the unborn baby

• Before 28 weeks of pregnancy
  You might have an increased risk of miscarriage. There is also a slight risk that your baby could develop fetal varicella syndrome. FVS could damage your baby’s skin, arms, brain, legs, bowel and also bladder.
• Between weeks 28 and 36 of pregnancy
  This virus stays in the body but doesn’t cause symptoms. However, it may become active again and cause shingles in the first few years of baby’s life.
• After 36 weeks of pregnancy
  The virus stays in the body and may infect your baby and your child could also be born with chickenpox.

Complications with the newborn baby
Your baby might develop severe chickenpox and might need treatment if the mother catches it or if your baby is born within seven days of your rash developing.

If your baby has a serious form of infection, then your healthcare provider will treat your baby right after birth with medicine that has chickenpox antibodies. Antibodies help to fight infection. It can help prevent chickenpox in your baby and make it less dangerous. If your baby still has pox after getting treated then he/she could be treated with an antiviral like acyclovir.