If you had chickenpox as a child, it’s possible — though uncommon — to develop shingles while pregnant. While shingles can cause uncomfortable symptoms, it won’t harm your baby.
Though shingles, or herpes zoster, is more common among older adults, it’s important to be aware of the condition if you’re expecting a baby.
Shingles is a viral infection that leads to painful, itchy rashes. The same virus that causes chickenpox results in shingles. It’s called the varicella-zoster virus (VZV).
If you had chickenpox when you were young, VZV stays dormant or inactive in your system. If your immune system is weakened, the virus may become active again and cause shingles.
You can’t catch shingles from another person.
But if you’ve never had chickenpox before, you can catch the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles. This can occur at any age and during pregnancy.
VZV can spread:
- through the nasal secretions of a person with chickenpox, such from coughing or sneezing
- through the saliva of a person with chickenpox
- by contact with chickenpox blisters
- by contact with the fluid inside shingles blisters
While you can get VZV from the fluid of a person’s shingles blister, you won’t get shingles. Instead, if you haven’t been exposed to VZV, you may develop chickenpox. Shingles could then someday appear if the virus reactivates, but only after chickenpox has run its course.
After having chickenpox, most people usually become immune to it for the rest of their lives.
If you already have had chickenpox, you likely won’t get chickenpox or shingles from exposure to anyone with either.
You can develop shingles during pregnancy if you previously had chickenpox. However, the virus that causes shingles typically reemerges in older adults, as the immune system typically weakens with age. In some people, it can also reactivate due to other conditions that affect the immune system, including stress and illness.
VZV does not increase the mortality of a fetus and
If you notice a rash of any kind while pregnant, talk with a doctor. It may not be chickenpox or shingles, but it could be another potentially serious condition that needs treatment.
If you’ve never had chickenpox and are exposed to someone with chickenpox or shingles, you may also need to contact your doctor immediately. The doctor may recommend a blood test to help determine whether you have antibodies for the chickenpox virus. It’s possible you had chickenpox exposure in childhood and don’t remember.
Chickenpox risks
Unlike shingles, a chickenpox infection
- early delivery
- miscarriage
- neonatal varicella, if you develop chickenpox shortly before or after delivery
- congenital varicella syndrome, though uncommon
A chickenpox infection in a pregnant person
If you don’t have antibodies to chickenpox, your doctor may recommend steps to help prevent chickenpox and lower the severity of your illness. These may include administering varicella-zoster immunoglobulin as a shot or prescribing antiviral medication.
A doctor can diagnose shingles based on your symptoms. Signs of shingles may include a rash that appears on one side of the body, along with pain in the area of the rash or rashes.
A doctor may decide to confirm your diagnosis through a skin culture. This typically involves removing a small piece of skin from one of the rash blisters and sending it to a lab to determine if you have shingles.
Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication if your diagnosis of shingles is confirmed. These medications may include:
- acyclovir (Zovirax)
- valacyclovir (Valtrex)
- famciclovir (Famvir)
A doctor can recommend a treatment plan that’s safe for use during pregnancy.
If you develop chickenpox during your pregnancy, you may also be able to take an antiviral medication.
It’s important to note that the best outcomes occur when treatment starts soon after the first rashes appear. It’s best to contact a doctor within 24 hours of symptoms first appearing.
Developing shingles while pregnant is
If you’re planning to become pregnant and you’ve never had chickenpox, you may want to talk with a doctor about getting the chickenpox vaccine several months before trying to become pregnant.
If you’re concerned about developing shingles because you’ve had chickenpox already, you can talk with a doctor about possibly getting a shingles vaccination several months before you become pregnant.
If you’re pregnant and you’ve never had chickenpox, you can help prevent VZV infection by avoiding direct contact with people who have an active chickenpox or shingles infection. These infections can spread until all blisters have crusted over.
Can you get the shingles vaccine while pregnant?
You need to
Experts recommend the shingles vaccine to adults 50 and older and to adults 19 and older with weakened immune systems.
Can you get the chickenpox vaccine while pregnant?
You
You can, however, get the chickenpox vaccine after giving birth.
The vaccinations are
If you’ve had chickenpox, you can develop shingles while pregnant. Though it can cause uncomfortable symptoms, it won’t harm your baby.
If you haven’t had chickenpox, you can get chickenpox while pregnant if you have exposure to someone with an active chickenpox or shingles infection. Chickenpox infection can pose additional risks if you’re pregnant.
