Declining needles for baby at birth

[agadoo]

i believe the reason it is given at birth or in infancy is because this is the best time to immunise. if parents decide they want to immunise their children then they tend to stick to the schedule and get it done. it has nothing to do with racial or socioeconomic groups, that is a very presumptious statement to make, and suggests that poor people, or poeple from a certain ethnic group are more likely to participate in high risk behaviours. obviously bub won't however no one knows what they will choose to do when they are older, so if the hep B is given in childhood and they are immune, it saves them contracting hepB, with all the associated problems that comes with it, passing it onto other people, and costing the health system lots of money.

[chocolatecatty]

Hm, well why is it that in SA there's a few extra vax compared to Vic? Can't remember which one(s) exactly (Caty's blue book is in the car) but there's definately one or two more jabs that babies get over there. What else would the reasons be except socioeconomical, racial, whatever?

Just because it's not politically correct doesn't mean some babies aren't more at risk than others elsewhere in the country.

On a side note, lol at being Nellenese!

[paradise lost]

Generally they vaccinate against Hep B if the parents are from a place where it is prevalent (2 or more % of the population have it) though since vaccinating everyone could eradicate it, many places are recommending it for everyone. There is a list on the CDC website here of the places where it is prevalent. It might be a good idea to vaccinate babies in areas where a significant proportion of the population has arrived in the last generation from the areas where the disease is prevalent.

Hep B is passed by blood and bodily fluids. It can be contracted through risky behaviours (needle sharing) or normal behaviours (from an infected mum at birth, from sharing the toothbrush of someone who you had PROTECTED sex with, from having unprotected sex with one's long-term partner who just happened to get it through unprotected sex in a previous monogamous relationship). Most people who work with drug users (my mum included) are offered the Hep B vaccine, and many medical professionals have had it.

Babies born to an infected mother should be vaccinated within 12 hours to protect them from contracting the virus. The vaccine has been shown to be effective for at least 23 years in studies. In the UK (where the government foots ALL the medical bills, for both vaccines and HepB treatments) all women are offered HepB testing during pregnancy and all babies born to HBV+ mums are vaccinated at birth.

HTH

Bx

[Trish]

Both Tehya and Abbey had niether the Vit K or the Hep B injections at birth. Just my personal reasons there.

I never had any issues at all regarding it. They were both HB's. Abbey however, when she was admitted to hosp at 10 days with jaundice, I found that on her paperwork, among the reasons for us being in there was to have the hep b shot. I was asked a few times if I wanted her to have it until I one nurse finally brang over a decline to consent form for me to sign. All fixed.

[Nelle]

Riv had neither - I need to read up on it all again, it's all gone fuzzy in my mind since 17 months ago! But I think that I was prepared to consider Oral vit K if the birth was particularly traumatic for him...not sure on that, that's just off the top of my cruddy memory.

And yep, the Immunisation Payment can be received by anyone - non immunisers/alternative schedule immunisers just have to sign a Conscientious Objectors form at their dr's - I guess to show that their choice has been given some thought and isn't due to laziness.

[kim73]

My son was born 7 weeks ago. He is my 6th child & I finally felt that we needed to have conntrol over his birth & what he was given. My last 2 received the jab at birth & it didn't sit right with me. I birthed at a natural birthing centre this time & queried them on why it was given at birth. Their answer was that it was the best way to ensure all babies received it (do it then & there while the mother doesn't have to make the decision to physically take the child to get it immunised).

The poor babe has just come into the world & we flood its little precious body with a vaccination.

As for VIT k...we didn't have that either. The midwives said babies are born with what they need (of course they are...why can't things just be left as nature intended?). They only supported it if there was a birth trauma.

The other biggie which most people don't realise is that the injection they give you to deliver the placenta is completly unneccessary most of the time also. I chose not to have it & my placenta came away painlessly about 10 mins after the birth. Previously when I have had the injection it was like birthing another baby because it makes your uterus contract strongly which is painful!

Until I had number 6 I always thought the three injections were necessary (except the hep B). I was never asked if I wanted them for myself & baby. They were givemn to me without explanation. This shows how medicalised birth has become. To give the mother back the decision making empowers her to feel she is doing what is right for her child. It helps pyschologically with birthing, breastfeeding & beyond to know that you are in control.

Kim

[Schmickers]

As both of our births were natural, we decided against the vitamin K. We were prepared to give it if, for some unfortunate reason, the birth was traumatic for the baby. And I disagree strongly with Hep B vaccine being given routinely at birth for babies not in a high-risk group for contracting the disease. An incredible waste of money and resources, not to mention the risk involved in giving a newborn baby a vaccination.

[sasha]

We went for the Vit K, but not the Hep B. Neither of us work in high risk areas, nor are we considered a high risk group so I didn't see a reason for him to have a vax straight after birth. He had it at 2 months with the rest. I might consider the oral vit K with this one... have to look into it.

[BellyBelly]

And it's not just the vitamin K or whatever is in the vaccination to consider, its all the other crap that goes with it into their poor little bodies.

You might like to have a squizz of the vaccination article on the main site.... and for terminology's sake I say vaccination instead of immunisation... because the latter implies an outcome...

10 Reasons Why Parents Choose Not To Vaccinate

[meow]

Thank you all for so much excellent feedback! I've been reading some more about the Vit K and I tend to agree that in a non-traumatic birth there wouldn't be a need. I also like the idea that baby has the level of Vit K they are supposed to have- our bodies are pretty smart.

Re: vaccinations, that's a whole other kettle of fish huh? So much info to filter!