Chickenpox in pregnancy: what you need to know

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Chickenpox is a very infectious illness caused by a virus called herpes zoster (part of the herpes family). The medical name for chickenpox is varicella. Most people in the UK get chickenpox in childhood, when it is a mild infection causing a rash. Once you have had chickenpox, you cannot catch it a second time. Nine out of ten pregnant women (90%) in the UK are immune to chickenpox. If you are infected for the first time as an adult, it tends to be more serious.

June 2015