The topic of vaccination raises a lot of doubts and controversy, especially when it comes to newborn babies. Let's see what vaccinations are recommended to be given to the baby in the hospital and why vaccinations are carried out so early.
From hepatitis
The first vaccine that is introduced into the body of a newborn child is designed to protect him from viral hepatitis. The injection is performed on the first day of the baby's life. The goal of such an early vaccination is to prevent blood-borne hepatitis B infection. The child runs the risk of contracting the virus from the mother (during childbirth), through blood transfusions, dental procedures, from close relatives in a household way (for example, through nail scissors). So there are a lot of risks for the baby.
The vaccine is given in the thigh area where redness or a slight lump may develop (this is normal and should not bother parents). Vaccination very rarely causes fever and is generally easily tolerated by most newborns.
BCG
The second vaccine administered to babies during their stay in the maternity hospital is a drug that protects the baby from tuberculosis. BCG is administered to infants from the third to the seventh day of life, when the newborn begins to gain weight. If any reasons become an obstacle to vaccination in the hospital, BCG can be done in the clinic up to two months of age. Babies over two months old are first given a Mantoux test, and if it is negative, then BCG is allowed.
The injection is performed into the left handle of the crumbs, into the shoulder area. A whitish papule appears at the injection site, which disappears after twenty minutes. Further changes in the BCG injection site begin to develop a month and a half after injection.
A seal appears on the baby's handle - it often turns into an abscess, then becomes covered with a crust and as a result heals, leaving a small scar. Parents should be aware that redness and suppuration of the injection site are normal reactions to this vaccine.
Pros
The effectiveness of vaccinations in newborns is very high - out of a hundred babies who were injected with the vaccine, 95 babies successfully resist infection. But even if the baby gets sick, due to the presence of a certain amount of antibodies in his body, the infection will be transferred more easily, and the risk of its dangerous complications will be low. So the benefits of vaccination are obvious, and parents who want to protect their baby in the future understand this. In addition, due to the current fashion of not being vaccinated, the risk of infection is quite high.
Minuses
For babies who have health problems, vaccinations can be harmful. That is why the doctor must first examine the baby and assess whether it is worth injecting the vaccine. For example, if a newborn has signs of encephalopathy or is born prematurely, vaccination is postponed.
The disadvantage of the BCG vaccine is that it does not prevent infection with tuberculosis. However, this is not the purpose of this vaccination (although the risk of getting sick is almost halved). With the help of BCG, children are protected from the most dangerous forms of this infection, which can leave the baby disabled or even cause death. Thanks to vaccination, these forms of tuberculosis almost never occur.
The disadvantage of the hepatitis vaccine is the poor tolerance of the vaccine for yeast allergy. Determining whether there is such a rare allergic reaction in an infant is not possible on the first day of his life. But, if the baby reacts badly to the vaccine, they will no longer continue vaccination against hepatitis B.
Possible complications
Many of the symptoms that parents consider to be harmful to the baby's health are in fact represented by adverse reactions from vaccines, indicating the development of immunity and passing over time. However, vaccines cannot be called completely safe, because there is always a risk of serious complications after their introduction, although it is low for most drugs.
Dangerous complications of hepatitis B vaccination include:
- Immediate allergic reaction - the child may develop hives, rashes, and in rare cases anaphylactic reaction
- Heart disorders (arrhythmias), hypotension
- Nervous system problems
The introduction of BCG can cause complications such as local changes (formation of a keloid scar, cold abscess, ulcers), inflammation of the lymph nodes, and BCGitis.
Maybe put it later?
The main reason for such early vaccination in babies who are just born is the desire to form their immunity to very dangerous diseases as early as possible.
If a baby with a risk of contracting hepatitis B is vaccinated in the first 12 hours after birth, in 99% of cases he will have a strong immunity to this viral disease. If vaccination is delayed for at least another 12 hours, immunity will be developed only in 75% of cases.
Hepatitis B is often transmitted to the baby from the mother, and since there can be no 100% certainty that pregnancy tests have shown the absence of such a virus in a woman, vaccination is justified.
As for BCG, vaccination in the early days is needed not only because tuberculosis is dangerous for a small child. Since this vaccine is not compatible with any others, its introduction is carried out in such a way that the subsequent vaccinations of the baby do not interfere with the formation of immunity.
