Shingles is a painful condition in which a skin rash in the form of blisters is observed. Shingles and pregnancy can make women wonder if the condition can result in serious harm to their baby. This condition during pregnancy can result in damage to the fetus and can also cause damage to the child later on. It is advisable to discuss about the condition with the gynecologist along with ways to avoid possibility of getting a shingles outbreak.

The possibility of shingles and pregnancy occurring at the same time is low. If a person has had chicken pox as a child then the chances are the person may not develop shingles till the person enters the 60s. In shingles pregnancy period of first two trimesters is crucial. If a shingles outbreak occurs in the first two trimesters it can result in fetal malformation. As the combination of pregnancy and shingles rarely occur not much is known about what is to be done to stop the disease from being transmitted to the child.

A woman developing shingles within last three weeks of pregnancy may result in the baby developing shingles or getting them later. The chance of complete outbreak in five years is quite high. With shingles pregnancy a woman may develop this condition just a few days before the delivery. In that case the infection can be a life threatening infection to the child. In this situation the woman will not be able to pass on the antibodies to the child and so this can be extremely dangerous.

A woman who has already had chicken pox will not catch shingles by way of exposure to someone with this condition. However with possibility of shingles and pregnancy it is advisable for women to stay away from those individuals having this condition during the pregnancy period. Also if the woman has never suffered from chicken pox then it is advisable to take additional precautions.

It is advisable for women to stay healthy so as to avoid the possibility of having a shingles and pregnancy. Diet along with exercise and stress management can help in ensuring that the immunity of the woman remains strong. Smoking should be stopped. The virus can be passed through direct skin contact with the open blisters in an infected person. So it is advisable to avoid contact with infected person.

If a pregnant woman comes in contact with someone who has this condition then it is advisable to immediately visit the doctor. The doctor will want to know if the pregnant woman has had chicken pox earlier and whether the person had chicken pox or shingles. It is also important to determine the pregnancy week and the closeness of the contact.

In some cases of shingles and pregnancy, the general practitioner may give an injection of varicella zoster immune globulin to boost the immune system. This injection can be given up to a period of around 10 days following chickenpox contact. The treatment for this condition is similar in pregnant women. The treatment may include antiviral medication like acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir.