Archives of disease in childhood. Education and practice edition
-
Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed · Feb 2020
ReviewFifteen-minute consultation: Prevention and treatment of chickenpox in newborns.
There are inconsistencies in how newborns are managed following exposure to varicella, ranging from reassurance and observation to administration of varicella zoster immunoglobulin (VZIG) and admission to hospital for varying length courses of intravenous aciclovir. Hospitalised preterm babies exposed to varicella should receive VZIG. ⋯ The use of VZIG may not prevent varicella but may reduce severity of disease. In this article, we review the evidence for risk to non-immune mothers, the fetus and newborns who had different types of exposure to varicella, with recommendations for management and treatment of confirmed neonatal chickenpox.