See our article on the chicken pox vaccine for more information on the pros and cons of the shot. You should keep your baby home from daycare for at least a week to prevent her spreading the disease and to give her time to recuperate. Unfortunately, children are most contagious in the day or two before the rash erupts, usually too soon for parents to know their child is sick. While she's recuperating, she'll appreciate anything you can do to relieve the itching. Give her a cool bath every three to four hours, and mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with the bath water.
Oatmeal baths soothe, too.
If you don't want to deal with the mess of regular oats, you can buy oatmeal bath preparations at the drugstore. After the bath, put calamine lotion on the itchy spots. Keep your baby's nails short. It may seem like an impossible task, but try to keep your baby from picking and scratching her sores, which can slow the healing process. Sores that aren't allowed to heal can leave scars or lead to skin infections such as impetigo .