What complications can result from chickenpox?
Although most people recover from chickenpox uneventfully or with a few minor scars, a small percentage suffer more serious complications. Each year in the United States, 4,000 to 9,000 persons are hospitalized with chickenpox, and up to 100 persons die. Those at highest risk for complications are newborns, persons with weakened immune systems, and adults. Although adults make up fewer than 5% of chickenpox cases in the United States, they account for half of the deaths from the disease. The most common complications of chickenpox are skin infections and pneumonia. Other complications are encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and hepatitis. Chickenpox can also lead to severe problems in pregnant women, causing stillbirths, birth defects, or infection of the newborn during childbirth. What is the treatment for chickenpox? Anti-virus medicine is available for treatment, but it is used mostly in adults and others who are at risk for developing more serious disease. Skin infections, a c
