Shingles Outbreaks During Pregnancy
Todd Mumford
May 11, 2007
An outbreak of shingles under normal conditions could be enough to turn a person mad, but in pregnancy, it could be simply disastrous. The one single redeeming factor in this case that can probably give some peace of mind is that it is not likely to attack if someone has not been affected with chicken pox earlier.
Mothers have a special responsibility – they are carrying the future generation within themselves. And so they need to be extra careful. When a woman becomes pregnant certain diseases affect her. Such as hemorrhoids, blood sugar and many others. Though there is no direct relationship between shingles and pregnancy (that is because the shingles disease happens from the virus that causes chicken pox and has no relationship with pregnancy), but still there can be a reaction on the mother and the unborn child.
Shingles in pregnancy can become perilous since it may affect the body’s immune system, making the would be mother prone to other attacks including varicella pneumonia that is quite serious and life threatening both for the mother and the baby. Another hazard that shingles creates in pregnancy is its nature of affecting the nerve of the mother. Though no reported effect of this on the baby has yet been found, its effects on the mother, nevertheless is bad. The situation is all the more worse as there is no known cure for shingles till this date.
Apart from the other facts, singles in a pregnant woman is a matter of concern because of two major complications – Congenital Defects Syndrome in the fetus and, as earlier mentioned, the life-threatening varicella pneumonitis. The situation becomes all the more grave if the pregnancy is not more than 24 weeks. In such as case the fetus can get the Fetal Vericella defects syndrome that includes cataracts, cutaneous scarring, and in some cases, defects in the limb as well.
However, the risk is much lowered after the 24th week. For the mother though, the risk is not eliminated for as long as she is pregnant and that is why regular monitoring is needed till delivery.
However here are some facts that are not that depressing. Recent studies on the topic have revealed that pregnant women infected with the virus seldom give birth to babies having congenital defects. In a recent study that enrolled 362 pregnant women with clinical chicken pox, only one infant was born with congenital varicella syndrome. The mother had rash onset at 24 weeks gestation. In case of two fetal losses that occurred, there was no evidence of varicella at the autopsy. Here the maternal rash occurred at 5 and 11 weeks gestation. So, even if these two cases are considered, the risk of fetal transmission is around 1.3%.
However if shingles affects the pregnant mother 5 day’s before delivery or up to 2 days after the delivery, then the baby has a 30% or 40% chance of developing neonatal varicella. The situation can even become serious or life-threatening if left untreated.
Mothers have a special responsibility – they are carrying the future generation within themselves. And so they need to be extra careful. When a woman becomes pregnant certain diseases affect her. Such as hemorrhoids, blood sugar and many others. Though there is no direct relationship between shingles and pregnancy (that is because the shingles disease happens from the virus that causes chicken pox and has no relationship with pregnancy), but still there can be a reaction on the mother and the unborn child.
Shingles in pregnancy can become perilous since it may affect the body’s immune system, making the would be mother prone to other attacks including varicella pneumonia that is quite serious and life threatening both for the mother and the baby. Another hazard that shingles creates in pregnancy is its nature of affecting the nerve of the mother. Though no reported effect of this on the baby has yet been found, its effects on the mother, nevertheless is bad. The situation is all the more worse as there is no known cure for shingles till this date.
Apart from the other facts, singles in a pregnant woman is a matter of concern because of two major complications – Congenital Defects Syndrome in the fetus and, as earlier mentioned, the life-threatening varicella pneumonitis. The situation becomes all the more grave if the pregnancy is not more than 24 weeks. In such as case the fetus can get the Fetal Vericella defects syndrome that includes cataracts, cutaneous scarring, and in some cases, defects in the limb as well.
However, the risk is much lowered after the 24th week. For the mother though, the risk is not eliminated for as long as she is pregnant and that is why regular monitoring is needed till delivery.
However here are some facts that are not that depressing. Recent studies on the topic have revealed that pregnant women infected with the virus seldom give birth to babies having congenital defects. In a recent study that enrolled 362 pregnant women with clinical chicken pox, only one infant was born with congenital varicella syndrome. The mother had rash onset at 24 weeks gestation. In case of two fetal losses that occurred, there was no evidence of varicella at the autopsy. Here the maternal rash occurred at 5 and 11 weeks gestation. So, even if these two cases are considered, the risk of fetal transmission is around 1.3%.
However if shingles affects the pregnant mother 5 day’s before delivery or up to 2 days after the delivery, then the baby has a 30% or 40% chance of developing neonatal varicella. The situation can even become serious or life-threatening if left untreated.
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