What you need to know:
Chickenpox (varicella) is a viral illness that mainly affects children. Its symptoms include an itchy rash and fever. Between 85 and 95 percent of pregnant women are immune to chickenpox, meaning that they cannot catch it. About 1 woman in 2,000 will develop chickenpox during pregnancy, however.

If a woman does catch chickenpox during pregnancy, there can be serious consequences to the baby, depending on when in pregnancy the infection occurs. If infection occurs in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, there is a very small risk (less than 1 percent) that the baby will be born with congenital varicella syndrome, a group of serious birth defects.

If infection occurs around the time of delivery, the baby may be born with chickenpox infection. If this infection is treated, most babies have only a mild illness. Without treatment, some infants die.


What you can do:
There is a blood test that can determine whether you are immune to chickenpox. If you are not sure if you have had the disease, you can get this blood test before pregnancy or early in pregnancy. Women who are not immune, and not yet pregnant, can get vaccinated. Experts recommend that a newly vaccinated woman wait at least one month before trying to get pregnant.

Pregnant women who are not immune should avoid anyone with chickenpox and anyone who has had contact with someone with the disease. An infected person is contagious (can give the virus to someone else) before he or she develops the disease.

If a pregnant woman has been in close contact with an infected person, she can receive a special injection, which can prevent chickenpox or lessen its severity. This treatment is safe for mother and baby.

Contact your health care provider right away if you are pregnant and have been exposed to chickenpox.

December 2006