Right Parenting - Say No to Chicken-pox!

Yes, I do read Phantom comics. But. pardon me, I am going to disagree with the saying right away and locking my horns with granny's wisdom! I am sick and tired of hearing it time and again from parents that grandma told them, "Let the kids have chickenpox. It's good for them to have it in childhood." I have to say it loud and clear, "Dear granny. I know you are the loveliest person on earth. You have nothing but the well being of your children and grandchildren at your heart. But by saying this for a disease like chickenpox you are doing a great disservice to them."

Let me tell you one thing -granny's view is not entirely wrong. It has some rationale.
Fact No.1: Chickenpox is a milder disease in childhood as compared to adulthood when it could be much more severe and serious.
Fact No.2: Chickenpox usually offers life-time immunity once it occurs in an individual.

So the second part of the statement where she says it is 'good' for them to have it in childhood is somewhat logical. But one cannot assume that one would always get Chickenpox only in childhood. It is possible that the disease could spare the individual in childhood and strike later in life when it is much more dangerous. And forget that argument, my objection is on different grounds. How can one say that it's good to have a disease -any disease for that matter!

Disease, illness -call it whatever you will -just means pain and misery. It means loss of productive hours and quality time for the patient and the family. It could also mean disability or death. Especially when it is an illness like chickenpox all these facts are all the more significant.

Signs and symptoms:

Chickenpox is an illness caused by a virus called Varicella zoster. It is transmitted through droplets of respiratory secretions and through direct contact with the infected person. It is a highly contagious disease. There is almost 80 -90 per cent chance of acquiring the infection for a previously uninfected house contact and a 30 per cent chance for a similar school contact. Winter and spring seasons are known for chickenpox epidemics.

There is an incubation period or a latent gap of about two weeks after the exposure. Then it starts off with non-specific symptoms like fever, reduced appetite, lethargy, weakness, headache and abdominal pain. The rash starts on the face, scalp or trunk. It is initially in the form of flat, reddish spots but soon the characteristic pearl-like teardrop vesicles start appearing in crops. This process goes on for the next one week. Then the vesicles get crusted and slowly disappear, leaving scars that fortunately are temporary.

Complications:

It is not the itchy, scratchy boils and confinement to the bed that makes chickenpox such a worrisome proposition. It is associated with many complications especially in infants, adolescents, adults, pregnant women and those patients whose immunity is weak. These complications can affect almost every system of the body and can even cause death.

Secondary bacterial infections of the skin can cause gangrene. Pneumonia, liver inflammation, brain affection like meningoencephalitis, disturbances of blood-clotting. kidney problems like nephrotic syndrome, generalised sepsis - the list of these probable complications is enough to scare the wits of any sane person. And as if that is not enough the chickenpox virus remains latent in the sensory nerve roots and can get activated later in life giving rise to an extremely painful condition called Herpes zoster .

Treatment:

Acyclovir -an expensive anti-viral medicine is effective if used early in the disease and limits the spread and severity of the infection. But this drug cannot be used for prevention against chickenpox. Prevention of the disease also cannot be achieved only by isolating the patient as he can transmit the infection to others from almost 48 hours prior to the rash to the stage of crusting i.e. next 3-7 days. Varicella zoster immune globulin is used to provide protective antibodies immediately to contacts with specific risk factors.

Prevention:

As far as the general population is concerned, now the focus is more towards prevention of this troublesome disease with vaccination. The latest Chickenpox vaccine is safe and effective and gives almost 95 per cent protection. Even those who still get chickenpox after vaccination do benefit from its protection as then the illness they suffer from is much milder compared to the natural infection. Their rash consists of much fewer spots and even heals within 3-4 days.

Any person above the age of one year who hasn't had chickenpox earlier should be vaccinated. The children require a single dose while the adults need two doses one month apart. The protection levels are adequate almost for life according to latest studies.

With intensive vaccination programme it is very much possible that we might be able to get rid of chickenpox once and forever. The only thing left is to convince granny that it is never good to have chickenpox.

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