Chicken Pox

CHICKEN POX

Chicken Pox is an infection that causes itchy blisters all over the skin, fever, and lasts for generally 7 - 10 days.

Children with Chicken Pox are contagious from the day before they break out in a rash, until all the blisters have fully scabbed over.

Children who are exposed to a child with chicken pox can come down with chicken pox between 7 to 21 days after the exposure to the contagious child occurred.

Most cases of Chicken Pox can be prevented by giving the Chicken Pox vaccine, which is recommended by the Academy of Pediatrics for children ages 1 year and up, who have not already had Chicken Pox.

Complications of Chicken Pox can occur. These include infection of the chicken pox lesions with staph or strep germs, and rarely infection of the brain (encephalitis). In past years, Reye’s Syndrome which results in a comatose child, was seen as a complication in children with chicken pox who received aspirin. However, since the use of aspirin in children has ceased, we are generally no longer seeing cases of this dangerous condition.

How to Treat Your Child for Chicken Pox

Trim Your Child’s Fingernails Daily - this helps to prevent secondary infection with staph and strep germs.

Benadryl - (generic is diphenydramine)

This can be given every 6 hours using the following dosage:

Weight

Dosage (every 6 hours if needed)

20 lbs

30 lbs

40 lbs

60 lbs

1 teaspoon (5 ml)

1-1/2 teaspoons (7.5 ml)

2 teaspoons (10 ml)

2-1/2 teaspoons (12.5 ml)

Calamine Lotion - Plain Calamine Lotion can help the itching.

Do not use Caladryl lotion because this contains diphenhydramine, and your child can absorb too much of this antihistamine from the skin, which will add to the effect of whatever diphenydramine she received by mouth.

Tylenol - (generic is acetaminophen) This is the best drug to use for fever control. See our "Fever" instructions for dosing.

Zovirax - (generic is acyclovir) This is an antibiotic which in some cases can shorten the course of chicken pox. It is certainly not recommended in all cases of chicken pox.