Chickenpox in Children - Everything you need to know

Most of us must have had chickenpox in childhood with the symptoms varying from few to several clusters of distinctive blisters that blemish the skin. Many parents are ill-informed about this illness and do little to relieve the high fever and itching that ultimately ends up as infected blisters and scarring. It would be best for all parents of young children to know all about the symptoms and how to tackle chicken pox.

It is found that most parents do not go to the pharmacist or GP for advice, but seek the advice of other mothers through networking forums and websites, older relatives who generally offer traditional remedies rather than the latest innovations and the Google that produces a huge volume of websites, with not all providing credible advice.

Your child with chickenpox would have fever, be very irritable and would come out with a distinctive blistered rash that resemble a ‘raindrop’, a clear fluid filled bump that first occurs in the torso. While some children may have a handful of spots, others may be covered from head to toe with some spots/rash even in mouth and ears.

All about treatment of chickenpox:  

Some parents believe anti-histamines can reduce itching, but they only cause drowsiness and help the child to sleep better and do little to reduce the itching. The child would have scars caused by scratching the blisters that leads to bacterial infection of the skin.

Some parents swear by using calamine as they believe it helps reduce itching; calamine offers a momentary cooling effect as it evaporates from the skin, but its drying effect may worsen the condition and actually cause further itching. Instead it would help to use chickenpox relief cooling gels like Care ViraSoothe that are pleasant to use and are quickly absorbed in the skin and relieves hot and itchy skin without causing dryness.

Reduce the fever not by giving the child affected baby aspirin or infant ibuprofen, but infant paracetamol; while aspirin is not safe for children below 16 years of age, infant ibuprofen could lead to further infection, The simple and drug free way to reduce fever and bring about relief to the hot and itchy skin lies in sitting them in a cool bath.

We could sum up chickenpox management with these golden rules:

Chickenpox shows up as a blistered rash in the torso that resembles ‘raindrops’. There is no need to consult a GP, but a pharmacist on phone or in person without the child to prevent infecting others.

Do not use calamine that only soothes momentarily, but increase itching; instead use cooling gels like Care ViraSoothe that is easy to apply, absorbs into the skin, cools it and relieves itching. Use of antihistamines cause drowsiness and help the child to sleep, but does nothing for the itching; it is best to ask your pharmacist for advice. It would help to give the child a lukewarm bath when feeling hot and itchy. 

Ensure that your child is well hydrated with plenty of fluids.

Provide relief from fever and pain with infant paracetamol. Avoid using baby aspirin and ibuprofen; aspirin can lead to the fatal condition,   Reyes Syndrome.

It is best to be informed that the child will acquire more and more spots for 7 days, with the fever subsiding in 3 days. If symptoms do not subside in 5-7 days then seek medical advice.

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