This disease is known as highly dangerous and harmful infectious virus that is usually responsible of many deaths especially for children aging 3 months to 2 years. This disease is also called as Variola, the word ‘variola’ comes from the Latin word for ‘spotted’. Any person who is infected by this disease may experience some symptoms of it. Thus, prevention would always be the best route to take when it comes to this disease. For babies, immediate medical care is needed when symptoms arise.

Types of Small Pox

Variola major is the most dangerous small pox. Variola major has subtypes; these are Ordinary small pox, Moderate small pox, Flat small pox and hemorrhagic small pox.

• Ordinary small pox—this subtype is the most common among the others, because it appears 90 percent of most cases and cause general rashes together with a very high fever. This is also the type which most of the babies can acquire.
• Moderate small pox—this subtype is a mild one that may only appears to a vaccinated person. Although, it is rare, babies are prone to have this kind of small pox, too.
• Flat small pox and Hemorrhagic small pox—these two subtypes are deadly when they appear at the same time, 30 percent of the victims of this small pox die. But when it comes separately, it is not deadly as it seems.

Variola minor is the most uncommon small pox because it appears only 1 percent in most cases in the world. So if a person experiences this kind of disease, he will not have to worry about, because of effect of this disease is less than those are Variola major.

Stages of Small Pox

There are stages to know the symptoms if the person has small pox or not.

• Non-contagious Incubation Stage—at this stage, you cannot see any symptoms. The period of the incubation is seven up to seventeen days or more. However, babies may become colicky and slow to feed.
• Prodome or Initial Symptoms—at this stage, the symptoms may occur such as high fever, rashes, malaise and sometimes vomiting. This period may last two to five days or even more. Only at this stage that parents may know or have idea about the disease of their babies. Medical care should be given immediately.
• Early Rash Stage—a person may have some growing rashes or some things like pimples starting from the head and spreading throughout the body which is extremely contagious. Staying away from the person with this kind of disease is the best course of action to prevent being infected. The baby may be confined in the hospital for close monitoring.
• Contagious Scab Period—this stage lasts as long as fifteen days after the formation of pustules. It is also during this stage that babies should not be left without someone to watch as the pustules maybe itchy but hurting when scratched.
• The Final Stage—by the time the scrubs are resolute, this is the time that it becomes non-contagious.

Small pox can be contracted by one person to another and passes it to all, by talking face-to-face or by bodily fluids or some contaminated object that can cause this disease. Preventing it is the only way. Vaccines for this kind of diseases are not recommended for children and babies because there may be great risks of side effects.

For babies who have small pox, it is always advisable to be confined in the hospital so that proper medication will be given and safety will be ensured.

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