Why is chickenpox dangerous in early and late pregnancy, how is it treated, is it possible to get sick again? Why chickenpox is dangerous for pregnant women and a child in the womb: consequences Chickenpox is dangerous for pregnant women in the fall.

Chickenpox, in everyday life chickenpox, belongs to the category of acute viral diseases. The main signs of the disease are dermatological in nature: the skin of a sick person is covered with an itchy rash, consisting of vesicles filled with liquid. Completely safe for children, chickenpox behaves very insidiously towards adults, threatening them with dire consequences. The most unprotected category of patients includes expectant mothers, the elderly, and those whose immunity, for some reason, cannot resist disease. Consider the specifics of the course of chickenpox during pregnancy, the possible consequences for mother and baby, as well as preventive measures against a dangerous virus.

Chickenpox is a type of herpes that is classified as the third type of the eight studied. The main contingent of patients are children under 6 years of age. Older people, who do not have specific immunity to chickenpox, endure the disease very hard. The body, faced with the chickenpox virus for the first time, is not able to quickly cope with the extensive intoxication that occurs after infection. An even greater danger is the infection for girls and women in position. Statistics note that chickenpox during pregnancy occurs in 1 case out of 1000, however, in the absence of vaccination or acquired immunity in a woman, this figure increases significantly.

Chickenpox during pregnancy: what to watch out for

Gender and age do not matter when a person who has never encountered the chickenpox virus communicates with an infected person - the probability of infection for him is 100%. The causative agent of the infection enters the body through the air and through droplets of saliva when a healthy person:

is in a crowded closed room with a specific contingent - for example, in a hospital or kindergarten;
is in close contact with the carrier of the disease, in which the pathology is undergoing an incubation period of development;
uses bed linen or personal hygiene items for a person with chickenpox;
communicates with a person suffering from shingles in the acute stage.

The causative agent of infection, the herpes virus, lives and actively spreads in the epithelial layer of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity and nasopharynx in the period from 7 to 21 days and remains unnoticed. The microorganism enters the external environment from the carrier through coughing, sneezing and during communication. 2 days before the appearance of specific vesicles, the visiting card of pathology, the carrier of the disease infects a large number of people where it managed to visit during this period. It is possible that there may be women in a position next to him, for whom the prospect of “picking up” chickenpox is highly undesirable.

Chickenpox during pregnancy: features of the course and consequences

Some time after the conception has taken place, a woman becomes an easy prey for many infectious diseases, because her immune system undergoes dramatic changes immediately after the fertilization of the egg. If a woman did not happen to have chickenpox in childhood or already in adulthood before pregnancy, her communication with a sick person becomes the main impetus for the development of the disease. The latent period averages 20 days, and then specific signs of pathology appear.

The presence of the virus in the body of the expectant mother is confirmed by the following clinical picture:

in the first days, a woman is overcome by weakness, which is also complicated by headaches, unreasonable irascibility, complete refusal of food, indifference to everything;
in the middle of the first week, the health of the pregnant woman continues to deteriorate. In addition, a woman's body temperature rises;
by the end of the first week, the skin of the whole body is covered with vesicles characteristic of this type of infection.

Due to the weakened body during the period of expectation of the child, the disease is difficult. Chickenpox and early pregnancy is by no means the best combination: the expectant mother is in a state of severe poisoning, and the excruciating headache does not go away even after the use of drugs that usually help. In the middle and at the end of pregnancy, the intensity of the signs decreases, but the potential risk to the well-being of the fetus still remains.

Note that chickenpox threatens not so much a woman as her baby. Such a nuisance during pregnancy is a real reason to fear that the course of the disease will be complicated by a miscarriage, the birth of a dead baby, or the appearance of congenital anomalies in the fetus:

if the infection of the pregnant woman occurred in the first months, the danger to the health of the fetus and the woman is minimal, and is only 0.3%;
exposure to the virus in the second trimester entails a risk of developing severe consequences in the amount of 2%;
shortly before the birth of the baby (34-36 weeks), the pathology is no longer so terrible, but the woman needs complex therapy, and her child needs constant monitoring.

Let's look at the consequences of chickenpox during pregnancy in more detail.

The disease can have a deplorable effect on the condition of the baby both at the beginning and at the end of pregnancy, but to varying degrees. We note right away that chickenpox does not serve as a reason for a deliberate abortion - in the 1st and 2nd trimesters, it does not cause the development of dangerous anomalies in the fetus, such as rubella. Pregnant women, fortunately, do not encounter this infection so often, so it is quite difficult to determine a clear pattern for the development of severe consequences on the basis of chickenpox. True, some observations nevertheless yielded results, and scientists found out whether chickenpox is dangerous during pregnancy when they determined what congenital disorders occur in crumbs if the disease overcame his mother in the early or late stages of gestation.

Chickenpox during pregnancy in the 1st trimester

In the first weeks after the onset of pregnancy, for a woman and a new life under her heart, any, even the most insignificant, infection is undesirable. With the development of pregnancy, the woman's immunity is weakened to the limit, since her body accepts an alien, in fact, an object for him in the form of a little man.

This is what chickenpox threatens before the 20th week of gestation:

Infection of the embryo in the womb and its death at the very beginning of pregnancy.
Miscarriage.
Serious violations in the formation of the structure of various tissues, which causes anomalies in the development of organs.
Irreversible defects in the formation of the central nervous system.
Not fully developed muscle and connective tissue.
Disproportionately developed fetal body with short arms and legs.
Defects in the formation of the eyes or complete blindness.
Anomalies that are not compatible with life, which lead to the death of the baby in the first days or weeks after birth.

As you can see, if a woman gets chickenpox during pregnancy, the risk for the child is quite high, but in practice, with a complex course of pregnancy and infection, completely normal babies with congenital chickenpox are born. Infection in a newborn is severe. If a woman gets chickenpox on the eve of childbirth, doctors do everything possible to delay the birth of the baby for another week. If it is no longer possible to delay the moment of childbirth, the nursing mother and her baby are given an immunoglobulin vaccine immediately after childbirth. This measure helps to avoid the death of an infant, which is possible in 35% of cases without treatment. The infected baby is immediately placed in the infectious diseases department and intensive antiviral treatment is prescribed to him.

Chickenpox during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester

In the middle of pregnancy, chickenpox is no longer as dangerous to the health of the fetus as it was at the very beginning. The placenta has already fully formed and is able to protect the baby from infection. Medical practice shows that even a severe course of chickenpox in a future mother does not affect the well-being of her baby. In this case, a pregnant woman is prescribed complex treatment.

Chickenpox during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester

At the end of pregnancy, the likelihood of severe consequences of chickenpox in a pregnant woman returns again. The disease proceeds in a complicated form: the later the expectant mother becomes infected, the greater the risk of a severe infection in the child becomes. The consequences of late infection can be damage to the brain, central nervous system and various anomalies of internal organs.

How is chickenpox treated in pregnancy?

For the treatment of chickenpox during pregnancy, antiviral drugs that are safe for the delicate position of a woman are used and the rash is treated with antiseptic solutions. Specific therapy is justified only in complicated cases. Basically, the treatment is symptomatic: the expectant mother is prescribed medications that relieve itching and irritation of the skin, as well as drugs that lower the temperature and strengthen the immune system.

Here is what a standard treatment program looks like:

the expectant mother is prescribed the antiviral drug Acyclovir;
it is recommended to treat the affected areas of the skin with brilliant green or a solution of potassium permanganate;
after childbirth, an injection of immunoglobulin is given to the mother and baby.

A woman suffering from chickenpox can safely begin to breastfeed her baby - the antiviral drug that she will be prescribed will not have a negative effect on the composition of milk.

How not to get chickenpox during pregnancy

Having overcome the infection in childhood, a person receives lifelong protection against this disease, therefore, he may not resort to any preventive measures: even close contact with an infected person is not dangerous in his case.

If you did not have this infectious disease in childhood, observe the following precautions:

Try to limit contact with small children.
Avoid places with large crowds of people.
Refuse to communicate with people who have noticed signs of a cold or a rash on the skin of the face or body.
If there are children in your family who have not had chickenpox, get them vaccinated against chickenpox.

When carrying a child, vaccination cannot be carried out - this must be done immediately after childbirth. So you protect both yourself and your unborn child if you become pregnant again.

Chickenpox vaccine

In Russia, vaccination against chickenpox is carried out with Okavax and Varilix. The vaccines contain a weakened herpes virus, which the body can easily cope with, developing specific immunity against chickenpox. There is a risk of getting chickenpox after vaccination, but it is, fortunately, minimal. So, out of 55 million people who were vaccinated, signs of chickenpox were found in only 5 of them.

We repeat that during pregnancy, vaccination against chickenpox is prohibited. If you are just going to get pregnant, then from the moment of vaccination to conception, you need to wait 1 month, and even better - 3 months.

pregnancy after chickenpox

When planning a pregnancy after chickenpox, it is important to consider that the infection greatly suppresses the body's defenses, while increasing the risk of contracting another infectious disease. Pregnancy after chickenpox proceeds, as a rule, without complications, but the expectant mother can easily catch a cold or other illness that can interfere with the normal bearing of the fetus. To prevent this from happening, pregnancy after chickenpox is postponed for 3 to 4 months. This is a sufficient period to improve health. And although chickenpox is quite severe in an adult, when planning a pregnancy, a woman who has had chickenpox does not need any vaccinations, medications or procedures. Before the intended conception, she just needs to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat well and get plenty of rest.

Can you get chickenpox again?

It is generally accepted that a person who has had chickenpox develops lifelong immunity to the infection. In some people who have been ill, the virus of this infection is permanently fixed in the body in a latent form, but during an exacerbation, it declares itself not as chickenpox, but as shingles. The main symptom of such a disease is the appearance on the skin along the location of one or another nerve of accumulations of small painful bubbles. An infection can occur due to a sharp decrease in the body's immune forces. A person with shingles is dangerous for people who have not had chickenpox, because if they become infected, they will get ordinary chickenpox - the virus is the same.

Today, there are many factors due to which chickenpox can no longer be called an infection that comes to a person only once. Poor ecology, frequent use of antibacterial drugs, HIV, intoxication, malnutrition reduce the general level of public health. Sudden stress or a sharp decrease in the body's defenses can cause chickenpox in those who have already overcome the disease in the past. This means that there is still some chance of contracting chickenpox during pregnancy, even if the expectant mother once had it.

The danger of chickenpox for a pregnant woman and fetus. Video

Why is chickenpox dangerous for pregnant women? It depends on many factors. Naturally, if a pregnant woman has already been ill with chickenpox before, then she develops stable immunity, so she has nothing to worry about. According to statistics, about 90 percent of the adult population had chickenpox in childhood, and therefore have immunity to the disease. Very few women contract chickenpox during pregnancy. If a pregnant woman has chickenpox, then this infection can have an extremely negative impact on the unborn child.

For girls “in position”, the risk of contracting this disease is as follows: in 15 percent of cases, against the background of chickenpox, pneumonia also develops, which is a great danger to women's health (the disease can even threaten the life of a woman in labor). This complication in pregnant women is closely associated with the risk of preterm birth. The highest probability of pneumonia occurs in the third trimester of childbearing. By the way, smoking excessively increases this risk.

Chickenpox in pregnant women: the 2nd trimester is characterized by that during this period, a woman is at a small risk (1.5 percent) to give birth to a baby with congenital varicella syndrome. When infected in the period from the thirteenth to the twentieth week, this risk increases to three to five percent. Congenital chickenpox syndrome is characterized by birth defects in the newborn, such as skin scars, deformed limbs, an overly small head, and vision problems. In addition, such children do not develop well in the mother's womb, they often suffer from seizures, and also have some mental and physical abnormalities in their development. Chickenpox infection increases the risk of fetal death in utero or miscarriage.

If a pregnant woman suffers chickenpox at the beginning of the third trimester, then nothing will happen to the unborn baby. Approximately five days after infection, the female body produces antibodies to the infection, after which it passes them to the fetus through the placenta, which provides protection to the child (the immune, undeveloped system of the future baby is not yet able to provide adequate protection). The most dangerous period during pregnancy for contracting chickenpox is the last five days before childbirth and two days after them. Since in this case the baby is exposed to the virus, but he does not have time to receive maternal antibodies. In thirty percent of cases, the child gets neonatal chicken pox, dangerous to the health of the newborn and even his life, if the disease is not cured in time.

Chickenpox - symptoms in pregnant women.

The incubation period of this disease and the appearance of its first symptoms takes from 10 to 21 days, but often the symptoms appear on the fourteenth to sixteenth day. In a pregnant woman, well-being can be similar to a flu disease (this applies to fever and fever), after a while a frequent, itchy rash begins to appear on the body. At first, the rashes are red, small blisters, they grow, and then dry up and become covered with scabs (crust). Most likely, the rash can initially be seen on the stomach, face, chest, then it will gradually spread to other parts of the body. The pregnant woman will remain contagious until all the rashes are crusted over.

Chickenpox in pregnant women - Komarovsky.

If a pregnant woman begins to feel the symptoms of this disease, she should immediately go to the infectious diseases department or contact her doctor. The famous pediatrician Komarovsky advises in this case to take an antiviral medicine called Acyclovir. If, at the same time as chickenpox, a pregnant woman also develops symptoms of pneumonia (such as shortness of breath, fever, cough, or rapid breathing), then you should immediately go to the hospital, as the woman's condition can worsen dramatically. For more serious symptoms, such as severe chest pain or the inability to breathe normally, you need to call an ambulance.

Chickenpox in pregnant women - prevention of infection.

Chickenpox in pregnant women should be warned. Prevention of the disease is best done during pregnancy planning. First of all, it is necessary to examine the girl for the presence of antibodies in the body, since during pregnancy it is impossible to vaccinate against all kinds of viruses. Frequent contact with children should be avoided, as they carry many diseases. When carrying a fetus, it is not recommended to spend a lot of time with other people's babies. If a pregnant woman had to communicate with a person infected with chickenpox, she urgently needs to find out if there are antibodies to this virus in her body. If they are not found, then an immunoglobulin injection should be given. It is necessary to make an intramuscular injection no later than on the 96th day after contact.

Features of chickenpox during pregnancy

Pregnancy is a state of a priori immunosuppressive. Suppression of immunity is necessary so that the mother's body does not reject the fetus, which is genetically independent, and therefore a foreign object. However, in the case of infectious diseases, a decrease in immunity predisposes to a more severe course of the disease and more frequent development of complications.

The main clinical manifestations of chickenpox are classic, there is also a rash with staged development, fever and weakness. However, approximately 15% of sick pregnant women develop viral pneumonia, which has a severe course, is accompanied by severe intoxication and creates certain difficulties in treatment, since not all drugs are approved for use during pregnancy.

If, in addition to the rash and symptoms of intoxication, shortness of breath, cough (dry or with scanty sputum), congestion and chest pain appear, then pneumonia should be suspected and immediately contact the infectious diseases hospital.

If the symptoms appeared on a day off, then you can’t wait until Monday, you need to call an ambulance or go to the emergency room of the infectious diseases hospital yourself. Never refuse hospitalization if it is offered to you. In case of hospitalization, try to notify your local obstetrician - gynecologist.

The risk of viral pneumonia increases with infection in the third trimester, and also if the pregnant woman smokes.

The effect of chickenpox on the fetus

1. When infected in the first trimester:
- the risk of spontaneous abortion and missed pregnancy increases;
- up to 1.5% of children are at risk of acquiring congenital varicella syndrome: deformity of the limbs, cicatricial defects on the skin, impaired formation of the organ of vision with subsequent visual impairment, up to blindness, anomalies in the development of the skull and brain, which entail lags in psychophysical development and convulsive syndrome .

2. In the second trimester, the risk of fetal death remains, especially if chickenpox is complicated (with pneumonia and prolonged fever). The syndrome of congenital chickenpox threatens much less, since the hematoplacental barrier is already well formed.

3. In the third trimester, the prognosis depends more on the duration of infection:
- at the beginning of the third trimester, chickenpox infection disappears with little or no consequences for the fetus. 5 days after infection, protective antibodies begin to be produced in the mother's body, which also penetrate the child.
- if you become infected about three weeks before giving birth, then the child may develop chickenpox immediately after birth, or in utero. however, all organs and systems are already formed, birth defects do not threaten him. But such children have a high risk of developing herpes zoster (shingles) at an early age.
- if infected 5 days before delivery and within 2 days after delivery, there is a high risk that the child will get sick, but he did not receive antibodies from the mother, and the baby's own immune system is still immature and unable to give an adequate immune response, therefore, without treatment, the situation can be dangerous.
If the mother has chickenpox in the last 5 days before giving birth, then the child needs to be isolated from the mother and fed with mixtures.
The issue of breastfeeding is decided individually, at the time of the disease, breastfeeding is excluded.

A dangerous complication of congenital chickenpox or infection in the first days after childbirth are herpes pneumonia and herpetic encephalitis. These are indications for treating a child in an intensive care unit or intensive care unit, as a high degree of disability and mortality is recorded.

Diagnosis of chickenpox during pregnancy

1. Characteristic symptoms in combination with anamnesis data make it possible to make a diagnosis of chickenpox with a very high probability.

2. X-ray of the lungs in case of suspected pneumonia is carried out as a last resort, and always, covering the stomach with a lead apron. The patient should be informed about the possible risks of both insufficient diagnosis and exposure to ionizing radiation. The patient has the right to refuse the study, then the treatment is prescribed empirically, that is, focusing on clinical manifestations and using a drug with the widest possible spectrum of action.

3. Ultrasound. Ultrasound diagnosis is the main method for detecting fetal malformations. Therefore, in such a special case, ultrasound should be performed on an expert-class machine. Such an opportunity is available in city and regional perinatal centers, medical genetic consultations and advisory centers.

4. Consultation of a geneticist. Consultation of such a narrow specialist as a geneticist is indicated when malformations are detected and a malformation is suspected according to ultrasound. The geneticist will be able to explain all the risks and the expected prognosis for the life and health of the child after childbirth, as well as recommend which specialists you need after childbirth. For example, defects of the facial skeleton are consulted by a pediatric maxillofacial surgeon, malformations of the limbs are consulted by an orthopedic traumatologist.

Treatment of chickenpox during pregnancy

1. Local treatment consists in the treatment of loose elements with an antiseptic solution (for example, brilliant green) and hygiene.

2. Antivirals are appointed only by an infectious disease specialist after a joint examination with an obstetrician-gynecologist. In pregnant women, according to indications, it is possible to use the drug acyclovir in tablets or intravenously (in a hospital).

3. Interferons. Interferon preparations (Viferon and others) can often be prescribed as an auxiliary immunomodulatory treatment, but you cannot prescribe them yourself, not all drugs are allowed during pregnancy.

Indications for abortion with chickenpox

According to Order No. 736 of December 03, 2007 "On approval of the list of medical indications for artificial termination of pregnancy", chickenpox during pregnancy is not an indication for abortion. The patient should be informed about the possible consequences and ways to prevent them, provided with highly qualified diagnostics. The mother-to-be always makes the final decision.

Childbirth and chickenpox

The type of delivery depends on the obstetric situation; chickenpox does not directly affect childbirth.

However, with the development of severe bilateral pneumonia and respiratory failure, with a threat to the life of the mother, a decision can be made to deliver by caesarean section. But such cases are extremely rare and the decision is made collectively.

Examination and treatment of the newborn

A neonatologist is necessarily invited to the birth, he is informed about the infectious history of the mother and the timing of infection. Examination of the newborn reveals external defects and signs of congenital chickenpox. According to indications, chest x-rays and ultrasound of internal organs are performed, brain functions are examined and narrow specialists (neurologist and others) are invited.

The treatment of a newborn is carried out depending on the severity of the clinical picture and the data of a laboratory blood test, immune sera (containing protective immunoglobulins against chickenpox), antiviral drugs (acyclovir) can be used.

Chickenpox vaccination

If the infection of the mother occurred immediately before childbirth, and the child does not have evidence of an active disease, then the chickenpox vaccine may be given to him.

Vaccination of pregnant women is contraindicated. But during breastfeeding, such a vaccination can be performed if there are appropriate indications.

Chickenpox prevention

1. Avoid contact with the source of infection. The source of infection is a person who has contracted chickenpox from the moment of infection (even if there are no rashes yet) until the moment when all the loose elements dry up and no new rashes are detected. You can also get chickenpox from a person who is sick with herpes zoster, as these are virally related diseases.

2. Prophylactic administration of an antiviral drug (acyclovir) after contact with a sick person

3. Prophylactic administration of specific immunoglobulin within 72 hours after contact with the sick person.

Is contact with a child/adult with chickenpox dangerous if the pregnant woman was ill in childhood?

If the patient reliably suffered chickenpox in childhood, then contact with sick chickenpox or herpes zoster is not dangerous for her and additional protective measures are not required.

But a patient who has a rash on the body is not always sick with chickenpox, many diseases occur with a common rash (rubella, scarlet fever, measles, yersiniosis and others). It is possible to say about safety only after an accurate diagnosis by an infectious disease doctor.

For the purpose of prevention, visits to kindergartens and other preschool institutions should be limited, if possible.

Herpes Zoster and pregnancy

Herpes Zoster or shingles is a manifestation of a dormant infection in the body after suffering chickenpox or shingles in the past. Relapse during pregnancy is possible in rare cases and does not pose a significant threat to the life and health of the mother and fetus. Primary infection with the Varicella Zoster virus with the development of herpes zoster is unlikely. But such a development of events is possible in patients with severe concomitant diseases (HIV infection, tuberculosis, severe anemia and other conditions that significantly affect immunity). Up to 26-27 weeks, the primary manifestation of herpes zoster is dangerous with the same consequences as chickenpox in the first and second trimesters.

The primary disease of herpes zoster in the third trimester has little or no effect on the fetus.

Treatment of Herpes Zoster during pregnancy is problematic due to the limited range of approved medications. If possible, local treatment should be dispensed with (ointment with acyclovir, ultraviolet irradiation of the affected areas), drugs based on paracetamol in a limited amount are used to reduce temperature and alleviate pain.

If you know that your older child has chickenpox in the kindergarten, or someone from the relatives has this infection in the family, then temporarily limit visits. It will take 3 - 4 weeks, and you will be able to communicate quite safely. If you suspect you have chickenpox, then do not delay contacting an infectious disease specialist, timely prescribed treatment will help to transfer the infection in a mild form and will not harm the baby. Look after yourself and be healthy!

Many women are afraid of “catching” a viral infection during pregnancy. Their fears do not arise from scratch, because infectious diseases are potentially dangerous for the expectant mother and baby. For example, chickenpox during pregnancy can harm the health of a child in the womb.

How does chickenpox manifest during pregnancy

Chickenpox (chickenpox) is an acute infectious disease caused by the herpesvirus type III. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets.

Chickenpox in pregnant women is not so common: only one in 1,000 women is at risk of infection.

Symptoms of chickenpox in pregnant women are no different from the usual signs of infection in adults. The disease is evidenced by abundant rashes on the skin, which resemble small blisters filled with liquid. After a few days, they dry out, turning into dark crusts that cannot be combed and torn off.

A typical chickenpox rash is small blisters with clear contents.

The incubation period of the infection can last 20 days, so the primary signs of the disease usually appear only on the 21st day from the onset of infection. An adult suffers the disease much harder than children, so the symptoms of chickenpox in pregnant women are more pronounced.

In addition to blisters, other signs of infection are:

suddenly worsened health;
poor appetite, sometimes nausea;
Strong headache;
apathy, fatigue, weakness;
heat;
joint and muscle pain, discomfort in the lumbar region and sacrum;
feverish state.

You need to contact the doctor at the first manifestations of the disease, because you should make sure that nothing threatens you and the baby.

Basic diagnostic methods

Blisters on the skin and other accompanying signs allow the doctor to accurately and quickly make a diagnosis, but additional information will not hurt. The doctor will definitely ask:

have you been in contact with a person with chickenpox;
how long the contact lasted;
what is the state of your immunity;
whether there are complications in the course of the disease itself and pregnancy.

Differential diagnosis is carried out with the following diseases:

To confirm an accurate diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe additional laboratory tests:

A serological method in which paired blood sera are examined to detect tissue antigens (RTGA to determine the virus itself and RSK to study the activity of antibodies to infection).
Examination of skin rash elements under light microscopes, including the use of silvering reagents.

The doctor may prescribe additional diagnostic methods to confirm the diagnosis of chickenpox. These include the serological method and the study of skin rash elements under light microscopes.

Impact on the fetus and women's health

The period of bearing a child does not mean that the disease will be more difficult. In a future mother, chickenpox proceeds in the same way as in any other adult. The changes will affect only the treatment. But for the fetus there is a certain risk, the degree of which depends on the duration of pregnancy.

First trimester

The early stage of intrauterine development is the period of the child's greatest vulnerability. At this time, all systems and organs are laid, so any infection can lead to serious defects. However, you should not panic: the risk of pathology is minimal - 0.4%.

Possible complications:

embryonic death and miscarriage;
frozen pregnancy;
violation of the central nervous system, underdevelopment of children's limbs, organs of hearing and vision;
diseases of the bladder and intestines.

Second trimester

In the period from 14 to 20 weeks, the likelihood of deviations, various pathologies in a child increases to 2%. If a pregnant woman has symptoms of chickenpox in the second trimester, the doctor will definitely examine and evaluate the bones of the arms, legs and skull of the fetus using ultrasound images to rule out any pathologies.

Possible complications:

scarring of the skin;
underdevelopment of bones, muscles of the upper and lower extremities;
eye damage;
pneumonia in a newborn baby;
serious neurological disorders.

third trimester

In the later stages (up to 20 weeks), the risk of infection of the crumbs is practically absent. However, by the end of pregnancy, the risk of complications increases significantly.

The most important period is a few days before childbirth and 4-5 days after. The probability of infection of the child is almost 50%, because he did not have time to acquire enough antibodies to resist the disease.

Possible consequences:

visceral form of congenital chickenpox with damage to internal organs;
fetal death before childbirth;
severe course of viral smallpox after birth (deaths are known).

Chickenpox vaccine during pregnancy

During pregnancy, the chickenpox vaccine is excluded. If you are just planning to conceive a child and want to protect yourself and your unborn baby, then follow these recommendations:

Vaccination is the best way to prevent chickenpox (video)

Prevention methods

Vaccination is just one of the measures to prevent infection. Doctors usually prescribe vitamin complexes to strengthen the immune system. General recommendations for preventing infection come down to standard measures: observe hygiene standards, eat a balanced diet.

Reminder plate for prevention

Treatment

In the absence of complications, there is no need for specific treatment for chickenpox in pregnant women.

It is necessary to carry out the treatment of rashes with green paint and a solution of methylene blue. With severe itching, gauze bandages moistened with Calamine lotion are used.
"Tsindol" is another effective antipruritic and healing drug. This suspension dries up ulcers and does not leave marks on the skin after application.
Doctors do not recommend overheating, water procedures. You should consume more fluids, switch to dairy and vegetable foods containing a whole range of vitamins and proteins.
The introduction of a special immunoglobulin is possible if the infection occurred at the beginning and middle of pregnancy (up to 20 weeks). This will help reduce the chance of complications.
In a severe form of the disease, acyclovir is prescribed.

If the expectant mother becomes infected with chickenpox immediately before childbirth, doctors will try to delay their date for the maximum possible period. If this cannot be done, immunoglobulin is administered to the mother and baby immediately after birth to avoid the death of the newborn. Then the baby will be transferred to the infectious diseases department for an antiviral course of treatment.