Shingles is an infection that causes a painful rash on one side of the face or body. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you’ve had chickenpox before, the virus stays inactive in your body. In many people, the virus never becomes active again. But in others, it can become active and cause shingles.
Anyone who has had chickenpox in the past may develop shingles, including pregnant people. About 1 in 3 people in the U.S. develops shingles at some point in their life. But most cases of shingles are in people over age 50. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that people age 50 and over get a shingles vaccine. A vaccine helps protect you from getting certain diseases.
If you get shingles during pregnancy, talk to your provider about the risk for your baby. Shingles during pregnancy rarely causes complications for the baby. If you get shingles right before giving birth or in the days after, protect your newborn from having contact with the shingles rash. Cover the shingles rash and wash your hands often.
What are the symptoms of shingles?
The first signs of shingles may be pain, itching or tingling in the area where the rash develops. The rash becomes blisters that scab over in 7 to 10 days. The blisters heal in about 2 to 4 weeks. Other symptoms may include fever, headache, chills or stomachache. About 1 in 10 people with shingles have nerve pain that can last for weeks, months or even years after the rash goes away. In some cases, shingles can cause other serious problems, such as eye problems.
How is shingles diagnosed and treated during pregnancy?
If you’re pregnant and you notice you have a rash, talk to your health care provider right away. Your provider can do a physical exam and tell you if the rash is shingles. Your provider can also confirm the diagnosis through a lab test.
Shingles is treated with antiviral medicines. Your provider can prescribe a medicine that’s safe to take during pregnancy. These medicines are most effective if they are taken as soon as possible after the rash appears. Your provider may also recommend certain over-the-counter medicines to help with pain or itching.
Is shingles contagious?
People with shingles cannot spread shingles to other people, but they can spread chickenpox to other people. This can happen if you touch the rash of someone with shingles and you are not immune to chickenpox. Immune means you are protected against getting an infection. You can become immune to chickenpox by having the infection in the past or by getting the varicella vaccine.
Most pregnant people are immune to chickenpox. But if you’re not immune and you get chickenpox during pregnancy, it can cause problems for you and your baby.
What problems can chickenpox cause for you and your baby?
Having chickenpox during pregnancy can increase your risk of getting pneumonia and can even be life-threatening. Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be very serious.
Chickenpox during pregnancy can also cause problems for your baby. For example, your baby may be at increased risk for a rare group of serious birth defects called congenital varicella syndrome if you get chickenpox during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. And if you get chickenpox immediately before or right after birth, your baby may have an increased risk for a serious infection called neonatal varicella.
How can you protect yourself from chickenpox?
If you’re not immune to chickenpox, getting the varicella vaccine before you get pregnant is the best way to protect you and your baby from chickenpox. But it’s not safe to get this vaccine during pregnancy. If you’re not sure if you’re immune to chickenpox, talk to your health care provider. Your provider can do a blood test to find out if you’re immune.
If you’re pregnant, stay away from anyone who has shingles or chickenpox. Tell your provider right away if you come into contact with someone who has shingles. Your provider can decide if you need treatment to help prevent you from getting chickenpox. And tell your provider if you come into contact with someone who has chickenpox. Your provider can treat you with medicine that has chickenpox antibodies. Antibodies help the body fight infections. It’s important to get treatment within 10 days after you’ve come into contact with chickenpox to help prevent the infection or make it less serious.
COMMENTS (79)
Hi all! I found out I was pregnant on March 10, 2003 only them to remember having had shingles in the end on February (I was 16). So, I was approx 4-6 weeks along during my shingles ‘fun’.
I was sent to the advanced maternal/fetal medicine clinic at a neighboring hospital for genetic testing (measuring baby’s brain fluid, etc.) and from then on was considered high risk.
I went in to labor 6 weeks to soon and was placed on bed rest. I do not know if that was due to shingles issues or my age.
I am now 28, and my husband & I have been trying for another baby. Last evening I developed a painful itchy spot on my back and the whites of my eyes are spotting (not bloodshot). Makes me wonder if I am yet again pregnant and faced with shingles. I have not yet taken a pregnancy test or called my doctor.
Am 24yrs old and 25weeks pregnant. I think an developing chickenpox and an very worried for my child,what should I do?
Hi Sibongile. If you think you may be developing chicken pox, please talk to your health care provider right away. He can do a blood test to see if you have any antibodies to the chicken pox virus. Up to 95 percent of women who do not think or know if they ever had chicken pox will have antibodies on a blood test. If you do get chickenpox while you’re pregnant, your HCP can give you an antiviral to help with the symptoms. But the best thing to do is to contact your doctor.
Hello! I had shingles in my 9 weeks of pregnancy. I am worried about my baby, will it harmful to my baby? Please help me.. Thank you!
Hi. I’m 17 weeks pregnant and I’m diagnose with shingles on my body. I m given Piroton antamin pills and calamine lotion. I’m worried about the virus harming my baby. This is my first pregnancy.
Hi Racter and Imee. According to MothertoBaby, “In a large study of chicken pox exposure during pregnancy there was no evidence of fetal harm in 366 pregnant women who developed the shingles.” (http://www.mothertobaby.org/files/chickenpox.pdf) However, it is important to discuss your concerns with your health care provider. He or she will be better able to advise you.
I am 38 yrs. old. Lots of health problems. My mom had chicken pox when I was born. The doctors said I had shingles as a new born. This was in 1976. Not a lot of medicine those days. I know it’s very rare. I was curious if my medical problems has any thing to do with being born with shingles? Does any one know if that’s true? If so, what are some of the medical problems you can have being born with shingles? I hope some one can help me! Thank you! Trish
Hi Trish. I am sorry that you are having so many health problems. You will need to talk to your doctor to find out if your current health problems may be related to your shingles diagnosis as a newborn. I am sorry that we can’t be of more assistance.
Hello all,
I am 11 weeks pregnant and just spent a weekend with my husband with what we thought was a common rash, turned out to be shingles. The thing is I have never had chicken pox. How worried should I be?
Hi Jade. Talk to your health care provider. He or she will be better able to address your concerns.
Hi! I am 35 weeks pregnant today and I have Shingles. It all started with a very excruciating pain and everybody thought that it’s only a cause of my pregnancy. It is so painful so I asked my husband to go to our OB for check up. Then I showed my rashes and explained how painful it is. So she said that I have Shingles! :'( She just asked me to put Calamine lotion and drink mefenemic acid. Now, I’m still worried about my baby. Hoping and praying that he will be okay. Now, my blisters has bigher bumps and it is so painful. Sigh… by the way, the doctor that checked on me last tuesday (Mar 3, 2015) is not my OB, since my doctor is out of the country for convention. Just wanted your opinion, should I go back to my OB once he came back to his convention? should I worry because there is no anti viral med that was given to me? Will my baby be harmed? Thanks so much – Apple
Hello Apple. I am sorry that you are in such pain. If you have any questions or concerns about whether you should take anti-viral medications, make sure you talk to your OB. He will be better able to advise you. Feel better soon!
Hi, I am 23 weeks pregnant and only 25 years old. I started getting a rash, my husband, parents,friends and I all assumed it was just a heat rash. It hurts a little ans itches a lot. On my neck shoulder ans chest only little blotches of it. So I went to the walk in and was informed it was the shingles?! I am so worried that I got it BC of a illness or something. I did in fact have chicken pox as a kid. Should I be worried? What should I do? I am taking antiviral meds as of now. Using calamine lotion. Today it looksa little better. My rash never blistered up or anything?
Can toddlers get shingles? children that are exposed to a family
member with shingles, carry the virus without getting it, and
then able to pass it on to another person or a pregnant parent.
My husband has skin lupus can getting shingles cause his skin
lupus to flare up and become more serious.
Hi Judy. Although shingles is more common in adults, children can get it as well. You can read our post Shingles, kids and pregnant women – know the facts (http://192.168.10.54/?p=20829) for more information. Your husband will need to check with his health care provider regarding his condition and the risk of shingles.
I developed a shingles rash yesterday, confirmed at an Urgent Care Center today. My 25 wk pregnant daughter has been staying with me for 2 days. The MD at the center told me that there is an air-borne component to the virus and that my daughter is safe b’cause she had chicken pox as a child but that contamination from me could pass to the fetus.
This contradicts everything I’ve read online. I have not developed the blisters yet. I sent my daughter home and she will call her OB tomorrow.
Sara, any opinion?
I have the shingles. We just found out my daughter in law is pregnant. And she has been to my home around me every day.she never had chicken pox. But she had all her vaccination for chicken pox. Someone told us that her being around me could harm the baby. Is that true. Very concerned mother in law.
Hi Marie. According to the CDC: “The [shingles] virus is spread through direct contact with fluid from the rash blisters caused by shingles.
A person with active shingles can spread the virus when the rash is in the blister-phase. A person is not infectious before the blisters appear. Once the rash has developed crusts, the person is no longer contagious.”
http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/transmission.html
However, it is really best that your daughter talk to her OB. He will be better able to advise her.
Hi Mary. The CDC states that “the virus that causes shingles can be spread from a person with active shingles to another person who has never had chickenpox. In such cases, the person exposed to the virus might develop chickenpox, but they would not develop shingles.”
http://www.cdc.gov/shingles/about/transmission.html
Since your daughter-in-law was vaccinated, she should be immune to chickenpox. But she should talk to her health care provider and ask about any questions or concerns she may have.
hi..I’m 21 years old..I just found out that I am pregnant with my first. but I am concerned because I had chicken pox two weeks before. and nw its all dried up and almost gone. cud ds be affecting my baby?? I had two early miscarriages before.
I work as a massage therapist and recently found out that one of my co workers have shingles I’m 27 wks pregnant I have had chicken pox when I was 4 but I’m scared if being around her leave risk not only for me but for my unborn child please help with the right course of action I lost a child before in first trimester and I don’t want anything to happen to the child I’m carrying now
My mom is 1 week into shingles and does not have any new blisters, my daughter is 11 weeks pregnant she did NOT have chicken pox and dont know the results of her titer yet, can they be in contact now?
My daughter who is 7 months pregnant is afraid to be around me because I just came down with shingles. She feels that she had chicken pox very young(5-6) she could catch them again. Is there a chance this could happen I thought you can only get them once. She is even afraid to eat any food I cook.
Hi I am 4 months pregnant now and I have shingles for over two months. Its still itchy sometimes and showed even after I took a shower . I am worried if this will affect the baby.
Please advise.
I had chickenox vaccine on Jan 15 and then had my last period on Feb 15. Afterwhich I got pregnant. CDC says that I should not get pregnant within 4 weeks after vaccination. I know it’s more than 28 days when I got pregnant but I can’t still help but worry about my baby. Is my understanding correct that as long as I don’t develop rashes/chickenpox within 3 months, then I’ll be sure that my baby will not be infected by those live weakened virus?
We suggest you talk to your health care provider about your concerns. Both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend a woman wait one month after receiving the varicella vaccine before becoming pregnant. And there are reports of normal babies born to women who conceived one month or less after getting the vaccine. You can also contact MotherToBaby (http://mothertobaby.org/) at 866-626-6847 for additional information.
Hi, I have a 29 year old daughter that is just 2 weeks pregnant with twins. She had a mild attack a few days ago of the Shingles which almost always attacks her left eye. Now 10 years ago she almost lost her left eye because of it. Is there any medication for this will she is pregant. She went to the emergency room and this Doctor told her she has to wait a full month to see her GYN team, what if she does not have a month and she loses her eye then what? He only gave her eye drops will that does not help. What are some of the medications that someone with shingles can take?
Hi Sandra. Your daughter should call her health care provider. Antiviral medications may be appropriate but her provider would need to evaluate her. Antivirals can lessen the severity and reduce the discomforts of shingles.
My sister cleans for me I have shingles and in contact her daughter is 4mouths pregnant should I stop her coming to clean for me