University Network

A research conducted by Dr. Thomas McLean and his colleagues proved that children who undergo steroid treatments are prone to develop severe kind of chicken pox. According to Dr. McLean steroids suppress the immune system so chicken pox tends to get severe.

In the study which involved 697 patients with acute leukemia for over nine years, 110 patients contracted chicken pox which is equivalent to 16%. Among 110 patients, 54 had severe case of the disease. Of the patients whose chicken pox was diagnosed within three weeks of taking steroids, 70 percent had severe infection whereas only 44 percent of those who had not received steroid therapy within three weeks had severe infection.

From Bio-Medicine

Children who have been treated with steroids and are exposed to chicken pox tend to have a more severe case of the virus, according to pediatric oncologists at Brenner Children’s Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

New research published in the October issue of Pediatrics, says that children who are undergoing steroid treatments for diseases like childhood leukemia are at increased risk of contracting a more severe form of chicken pox, which may result in death.

“Steroids are used to treat leukemia and they suppress the immune system,” said Thomas McLean, a pediatric oncologist at Brenner Children’s Hospital. “When a child is exposed to the varicella virus (the virus that causes chicken pox) around the time they are receiving steroid treatment, they are more likely to contract a more severe case of chicken pox.”

Steroids are a common and highly successful treatment for many childhood cancers, McLean said.

Although the study focused on leukemia patients, Dr. McLean claimed that the findings are applicable to other children who take steroid treatments. The doctor urged parents to have their children vaccinated with especially if their children had not yet contracted with chicken pox.

Category: Anabolic Steroids | Tags: chicken pox, Dr. McLean, varicella virus