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Slap Cheek and pregnancy worries

I am 7 weeks pregnant and am a primary school teacher. Before the Easter holidays there were several cases of Slap cheek across the school. This was before I knew I was pregnant, but the other two pregnant teachers in school were advised to stay off school and have blood tests to see if they were immune.

On Friday, another child has been confrimed to have it. This child is not in my class, but I could have contact with them during the day and the children in my class mix with them. I have contacted my Dr and been told to go for a blood test and "We will take it from there..." I've not been told whether to go into school or not, but I've taken the decision to stay at home for today at least. My concern is that it spreads easily and the children are infectious before any symptoms appear, so I could easily catch it and it is dangerous for the baby.

My school are being great about it, but I feel bad for the children in my class, but need to put the baby first. Am i being silly staying off work?

Replies

  • Not at all. My childminders child had it when i was in early pregnancy and i kept G off for a week x

  • If you're a primary school teacher, you're likely to be immune to it anyway as you've probably unknowingly come into contact with it before. I had a bit of a scare a few months ago as I'd come into contact with a colleague's daughter when I was about 11 weeks and he told me a couple of weeks later (just after I'd announced it) that she'd just been diagnosed with slapped cheek. I phoned the midwife and they used my booking bloods to check my immunity and I was immune, although I don't recall ever having come into contact with it before (in fact, I'd never heard of it until a couple of years ago). The MW told me that, in the meantime, as long as I felt well and didn't have a rash, I was probably ok, but obviously I wasn't having ongoing contact with children like you are.

    Baby comes first!

  • I'm currently off 'sick' as there is a lot of chicken pox in my class and another teacher has shingles.

    I had blood tests on Friday and should get the results this Friday. I've never had them so I needed to be tested. Enjoy your few days off being non sick like me! I feel guilty too but what can we do?!

  • I know Custard, I feel awful! Nice to be off when the sun is shining though I guess!

  • I had a scare when someone i work with had it I rang the hospital and they ran a blood test to see if I was immune which I was. I suppose it is only worth doing if you would need to be off for a while.

  • I was teaching when pregnant and there was slapped cheek going around. I had the blood test, but didn't take any time off as I figured that I'd already been in contact, so it was too late. As it was I was immune, but had no recollection of ever getting it, but I did had some form of a virus at one point that I never got to the bottom of what it was. As someone else has said, chances are, like me, you're already immune, but having the test results will put your mind at rest.

  • Thanks for all the replies. So, it turns out i'm not immune so trying to decide what to do. I don't want to catch it obviously but I also want to go back to work!! My husband seems to think that it's no different to if i am out and about and catch it and says I just need to take precautions at work. There hasn't been anymore confirmed cases for a few days and none in my class so far. I'm waiting for the midwife to call with advice.

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