Updated: Parent Puzzler answer

I love parent puzzlers.  They help me answer some of the most common parent conundrums and also give me the opportunity to hear from all you lovely (and smart!) folks out there.

I’m testing you today, readers–here’s a tough one: Hilary has a 5 year old and a 2 month old. Her 5 year old came down with chickenpox and she was worried about the baby getting them.

What should she do? UPDATED with my answer below:

Until an infant is 3 months old, he carries all of his mother’s antibodies in his bloodstream. So, if Hilary had chickenpox or had been immunized against it as a child, her antibodies are still circulating in her baby’s bloodstream and the baby won’t get chickenpox.

You continue to impress me, readers! I was expecting many to suggest quarantining the infant until the chickenpox went away or sending the baby to stay with the grandparents for a while. But you outsmarted me! I’m so impressed that many of you mentioned “waiting it out,” “toughing it out” or the like.