Who is most at risk for getting chicken pox during pregnancy?
How your baby will be affected depends on where you are at in your pregnancy. According to the Organization for Teratology Information Service (OTIS): If chicken pox occurs within the first trimester, the risk of birth defects is 0.5-1 percent If chicken pox occurs within the 13th and 20th week, the risk of birth defects is 2 percent If chicken pox occurs within 5 days or less of delivery or 1-2 days after delivery, there is a 20-25% chance that your baby will develop chicken pox, known as congenital varicella. If chicken pox occurs within 6-12 days before delivery, there is a chance that the baby can still get chicken pox. In this case your baby may receive some of your newly made chicken pox antibodies, which will cause the congenital varicella to be mild. Possible birth defects may be scars, eye problems, poor growth, small head size, delayed development, and/or mental retardation.
