Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. The infection causes a painful rash. It is unlikely that a baby would have shingles, but it is not impossible.
Background
Once a person has chicken pox, the varicella-zoster virus sometimes stays in her system. Years later this virus can reappear as shingles.
Risk Factor
If a baby's mother catches chicken pox within a month before giving birth then it is likely that the baby will be born with chicken pox. The baby can then develop shingles.
How It Starts
A fever and chills are often early signs of shingles. Additionally, you may notice diarrhea and swollen lymph nodes. However, many others diseases start this way so this is not a guarantee that a baby has shingles.
Painful Blisters
A red rash is the main sign of shingles. However, shingles rashes differ from other rashes in that they usually happen on one side of the body and they are very painful. After a few days the painful rashes often turn into blisters that leak a fluid.
Sensitivity to Touch
The pain from shingles is often described as a burning or piercing pain. Because of that, a baby may be very sensitive to touch. Try not to hold the baby in a way that would irritate the rashes.
Facts
If a baby has not had the chicken pox then he won't have the shingles virus in his system. Babies can contract the varicella-zoster virus from someone with shingles, but they won't immediately develop shingles. Instead they will develop chicken pox.
Tags: that baby, develop shingles, , varicella-zoster virus