If you are pregnant and have chickenpox (varicella) — a highly contagious viral infection that causes an itchy, blister-like rash — you and your baby might face serious health risks.
If you develop chickenpox during pregnancy, your health care provider might prescribe oral antiviral drugs to speed your recovery. The medication is most effective when given within 24 hours of the rash developing. If you have chickenpox when you deliver, your baby might be treated with an immune globulin product shortly after birth to try to prevent neonatal varicella. If your baby develops chickenpox in the first two weeks of life, antiviral drugs might be given as well.