Shingles and Children - Babies and Infants

Shingles Risk in Infants:

Infants can be exposed to the shingles (zoster) virus before they are born, due to the the virus's ability to be passed through the placenta. This could cause the infant to be born already having a chickenpox infection, which could lead to the development shingles during childhood by the age of 5 years old. The symptoms of shingles a child experiences differs from that of adults. Therefore, due to the painful nature of zoster, the child will need to be kept as comfortable as possible.

Zoster outbreaks in a children and babies usually presents initially as a rash. Blisters then form which erupt leaking a clear fluid. It is at this stage the child is contagious. The blisters then crust over and heal and the virus can no longer be spread. However, it is not shingles that is spread, but chickenpox will result in the person exposed, who has never had chickenpox previously.

Shingles is usually found in people who are over 60 years old. Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles at any age. A baby born to a woman who caught chicken pox up to 21 days before giving birth, can develop shingles early in life. Often these babies have chickenpox at birth or develop it soon after being born.

Treatment:

The symptoms are treated by:

• Daily baths to prevent secondary infections


• Trimming their fingernails to prevent scratching the rash or blisters


• Cool compresses soaked in cool water help to ease the pain.

Watch television, play video games, read, color or do some other activity to distract the child from the physical discomfort of an active and painful zoster infection.

Administer acetaminophen to ease pain and discomfort as per instruction of your pediatrician. Itching can be relieved with antihistamines or topical lotions such as calamine.

The link between shingles and cerebral palsy:

The shingles virus has been shown to be a risk factor for developing cerebral palsy in infants and babies. A study conducted by the BBC News in 2006, revealed infants exposed to shingles are more prone to cerebral palsy than other babies.

An infant exposed to the varicella zoster virus (chickenpox) is due to the virus's ability to enter the placenta to the developing fetus. Cerebral palsy can be a problem before or after birth, which doubles when the child exposed to the shingles virus. It is not known how exposure to viruses causes cerebral palsy.

Prevention:

Zostavax can prevent exposure to the shingles virus (Herpes zoster), but is approved only for adults. Pregnant women can be injected with Zostavax because it can be transferred to the child during breastfeedings.

Unborn babies and infants can develop serious defects and infections when exposed to the shingles virus, as well as cerebral palsy. That is why prevention is of the utmost importance, particularly during pregnancy.

by Barb Hicks, RN/LMT