I disagree with Dr. Moy's approach to shingles in a nursing mother.  The
baby in the post was two weeks old.  Therefore s/he is out of the age
group when we are concerned with chicken pox in the mother (a few days
on either side of the baby's birth).  Furthermore, though the virus is
the same as chicken pox, the situation is *not* the same.  In the first
place the mother is immune and has antibodies which she passed on to the
baby in utero.  Secondly, this new infection has given a booster
response to her antibody production.  Furthermore, breastmilk contains
other factors which protect against viruses, such as free fatty acids,
which attack encapsulated viruses such as chicken pox virus.

Finally, chicken pox is a mild illness in young babies, except when they
do not have immunity (passive or otherwise).  There is no need for the
baby in the original post to get Zoster Immune Globulin.

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC