Related Articles
What to Expect From a Well Exam for Your Preschooler
Read about what to expect and what to ask at you preschooler’s next pediatrician well checkup.
Preschooler Speech Norms
Find out if you have to worry if your preschooler is still saying "wabbit" instead of "rabbit."
Preschoolers and Lazy Eye (Amblyopia)
Gain more insight into what lazy eye really is and symptoms to watch for.
What to do when your Preschooler gets the Chicken Pox
Oh no! Your preschooler wakes up with itchy, pink spots on their skin caused by the varicella zoster virus which causes chicken pox. Thanks to modern day medicine, occurrences of chicken pox are infrequent. Luckily, when chicken pox does strike, it is very manageable. Here’s more on understanding this common childhood illness and how to manage it best to ease your preschooler’s discomfort.
Chicken Pox 101
The symptoms of chicken pox can look similar to a cold or flu at first, with a runny nose, cough and sneezing preceding the key sign of the rash. Other symptoms may include fatigue and fever. Usually the bumps and itchiness begin on the face and chest and can, but don't always, spread to the rest of the body. The spread, course, and severity of chicken pox symptoms vary between people. Blisters with fluid within begin to form on the bumps and start to crust over and scab after a day or two of the initial bump formation. This virus is extremely contagious so keeping your preschooler isolated is important. Your preschooler will be most contagious the the first few days of blister formation, but once all blisters have scabbed over, they are no longer contagious.
Remember, cold and flu-like symptoms can precede the itchy bumps by a few days, so sneezing and coughing on others during this pre-rash period can spread the virus without your knowing it's the chicken pox! This is another reason to stress to your preschooler the importance of being cautious with any cough or sneeze by covering the mouth and washing hands frequently.
For the itchy symptoms, scratching is a no-no! Scratching at the bumps and blisters make healing difficult and can open your preschooler up to secondary infections. Doctors recommend calamine lotion, cool washcloths on the skin and oatmeal baths for the itching symptoms. Doctors also often prescribe acetaminophen for symptoms of pain and discomfort. Aspirin, however, is absolutely not to be used because it can lead to a serious disorder called Reye’s syndrome.
Make sure you stress to your preschooler that they should tell you if they are feeling really bad or if things are getting worse during the course of their illness. Sometimes chicken pox can lead to other dangerous problems like skin infections and pneumonia. You should be very observant of their symptoms from day to day of their chicken pox infection.
There are two pieces of good news, however. First, once you get chicken pox, it’s not likely you’ll get it again. And, second, there are chicken pox vaccines that can prevent the illness altogether. The first vaccine is given as an infant and the second dose between the ages of four to six years old. According to the CDC, getting the vaccine is safer than getting chicken pox itself.
By: Pia Chaparro
Disclaimer: Any information provided on PreschoolRock Health is for informational and educational purposes only. Please see a health care provider if you have any medical concerns. PreschoolRock.com, its owners, agents and authors shall not be liable for any damages, claims, liabilities, costs or obligations arising from the use or misuse of the material contained in this web site.
Chicken Pox 101
The symptoms of chicken pox can look similar to a cold or flu at first, with a runny nose, cough and sneezing preceding the key sign of the rash. Other symptoms may include fatigue and fever. Usually the bumps and itchiness begin on the face and chest and can, but don't always, spread to the rest of the body. The spread, course, and severity of chicken pox symptoms vary between people. Blisters with fluid within begin to form on the bumps and start to crust over and scab after a day or two of the initial bump formation. This virus is extremely contagious so keeping your preschooler isolated is important. Your preschooler will be most contagious the the first few days of blister formation, but once all blisters have scabbed over, they are no longer contagious.Remember, cold and flu-like symptoms can precede the itchy bumps by a few days, so sneezing and coughing on others during this pre-rash period can spread the virus without your knowing it's the chicken pox! This is another reason to stress to your preschooler the importance of being cautious with any cough or sneeze by covering the mouth and washing hands frequently.
For the itchy symptoms, scratching is a no-no! Scratching at the bumps and blisters make healing difficult and can open your preschooler up to secondary infections. Doctors recommend calamine lotion, cool washcloths on the skin and oatmeal baths for the itching symptoms. Doctors also often prescribe acetaminophen for symptoms of pain and discomfort. Aspirin, however, is absolutely not to be used because it can lead to a serious disorder called Reye’s syndrome.
Make sure you stress to your preschooler that they should tell you if they are feeling really bad or if things are getting worse during the course of their illness. Sometimes chicken pox can lead to other dangerous problems like skin infections and pneumonia. You should be very observant of their symptoms from day to day of their chicken pox infection.
There are two pieces of good news, however. First, once you get chicken pox, it’s not likely you’ll get it again. And, second, there are chicken pox vaccines that can prevent the illness altogether. The first vaccine is given as an infant and the second dose between the ages of four to six years old. According to the CDC, getting the vaccine is safer than getting chicken pox itself.
By: Pia Chaparro
References:
Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-varicella.txt and http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/varicella/dis-faqs-gen.htm on January 22, 2008.
Disclaimer: Any information provided on PreschoolRock Health is for informational and educational purposes only. Please see a health care provider if you have any medical concerns. PreschoolRock.com, its owners, agents and authors shall not be liable for any damages, claims, liabilities, costs or obligations arising from the use or misuse of the material contained in this web site.