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Facts About Pregnancy & Shingles Exposure

During a shingles outbreak, it is possible to shed the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), transmitting it to anyone who has never been exposed (that is, anyone who has never had or been exposed to chickenpox). Because a VZV infection during pregnancy can have potentially serious effects on both mother and child, it is important to take precautions to avoid contact with pregnant women during an outbreak.

  1. Precautions

    • Someone with an active outbreak of shingles should avoid close contact with anyone who has never had chickenpox, including pregnant women and newborns. Persons over the age of 60 who are vaccinated for shingles should also exercise caution because, according to the Mayo Clinic, it is possible for the vaccination to cause a rash that could be infectious in the same way as a shingles rash. A shingles rash generally takes seven to 10 days to clear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all people living with a pregnant woman who has not had chickenpox and who have not themselves had chickenpox should be vaccinated for varicella.

    Varicella Pneumonia and CVS

    • Women who contract VZV during pregnancy are at great risk. The CDC reports that between 10 to 20 percent of women who contract varicella during pregnancy develop varicella pneumonia, and up to 40 percent of these women die. Children born to mothers who develop varicella early in pregnancy are at risk for a condition called congenital varicella syndrome, which can cause low birth weight, scarring of the skin, underdeveloped limbs, microcephaly (an underdeveloped head and brain), brain damage and cataracts.

    Neonatal Varicella

    • Women who develop symptoms of VZV infection a few days before or after childbirth may give birth to children with varicella sores or children who develop them soon after birth, according to Johns Hopkins. Children who experience chickenpox before the age of one are likely to develop shingles in childhood.

    Treatment of VZV in Pregnant Women and Infants

    • Pregnant women who have not had chickenpox and are exposed to VZV should be given varicella-zoster immune globulin, according to the CDC. The same is true of infants born to mothers who developed symptoms near childbirth.

    Shingles in Pregnancy

    • According to Johns Hopkins, a case of shingles during pregnancy does not carry the same risk for CVS as does primary infection with chickenpox.

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