Can Exposure to Chickenpox During Pregnancy Cause a Miscarriage?
Can Exposure to Chickenpox During Pregnancy Cause a Miscarriage? Chickenpox, aka varicella, was once a common childhood infection. Most children nowadays receive a vaccination against chickenpox but the virus is still circulating in the population. Answer: For most people, chickenpox is no reason to panic. Most children who contract the virus do not have serious complications; adults can be somewhat more uncomfortable but usually recover from the illness without severe problems. The vast majority of chickenpox infections occur in people aged 1 to 14 and only 2% of recorded infections occur in individuals over 20 years of age. Among the rare pregnant women who are not already immune, exposure to varicella during pregnancy can cause complications. About 10% to 20% of infected women can develop a condition called varicella pneumonia. Women who are immune are generally not at risk
