Pregnancy and Chicken Pox and Shingles

By Roisin O’Connor,  After contacting their doctor, women who develop chickenpox in pregnancy should be referred to a foetal medicine specialist Pregnant women who have not had chicken pox should be advised to avoid people who have the virus and be referred to a specialist if they develop the rash, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaeocologists (RCOG) has said. Estimates suggest chickenpox, which usually causes a mild infection in children, complicates three in every 1,000 pregnancies. Published on Wednesday, the updated guidelines say that women should be asked about previous chickenpox or shingles infections when they book antenatal care. Prof Patricia Crowley, from University College Dublin, and co-author of the guideline, said: “It is vital that pregnant women with symptoms of the virus should contact their GP as soon as possible and avoid contact with potentially susceptible individuals, such as other pregnant women and babies.” Louise Silverton, director for midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, welcomed the new guidance. She added: “Pregnancy can be very confusing for women as they are taking in a huge amount of information and we need to ensure that women know what to look for without causing overload. “Midwives will need to discuss this with all women, particularly new migrants who may be unaware if the have had it and may have limited language and understanding.” After ...
Source: Cord Blood News - Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Tags: babies blood disorder Cord Blood medical research parents pregnancy Chicken Pox Shingles Source Type: blogs