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Natural Birth
emilykathleen511
member
S/O Re: Vaccinations
emilykathleen511
member
Can I ask why it's standard to give newborns the Hep B in the hospital? Is this only helpful if the Mom has Hep B? If this is the case, as long as Mom is negative, is there any benefit to giving a baby the Hep B at all? I mean, I don't know too many babies shooting up with shared needles, kwim? Any insight?
FTR, my LO has gotten all his vaccines except Hep B on schedule.
FTR, my LO has gotten all his vaccines except Hep B on schedule.
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Re: S/O Re: Vaccinations
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From what I've read (and just my personal research) the Heb B vaccine is basically the only vaccine course that they can start right at birth; all others have to be a couple months out to be viable.
The argument FOR Hep B at birth that I have come across is for mothers who are Hep B positive (and could pass to baby) and don't know it. This way all babies are protected from the get go, so hospital policy was born.
Hep B is only spread through bodily fluids (generally through sex, drugs, blood transfusions), so could be transfered through a deep bite (argument to get Hep B prior to daycare/school), but the likelihood that a little one has Hep B is so low or that they will bite that hard and exchange enough fluid to infect.
Just think of how much Merck, the manufacturer of the vaccine, rakes in for every baby that is automatically vaccinated with their drug....I read numbers somewhere a few weeks ago and it was staggering.
I plan to vaccinate my child for Hep B, but not until 5 or 6. There is no reason an infant needs Hep B at birth IMO.
My understanding is that a) there is a negligible risk, always, in hospitals of contamination but moreso that b) public health folks wanted to make sure kids got vaccinated, and if they never went back to a doc, they got this one.
Also, you never know when your infant might start using drugs without your knowledge.
We put it off, with no argument from our pedi or the hospital.
I've always thought it was so they get as many babies vaccinated as possible. Because it's easier to vaccinate a baby right after it's born than possibly having parents miss the vaccination or forget it during check ups.
I'm sure it's still a lot less than the amount drug companies make off of drugs that are taken regularly (like Lipitor).
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
The reason I gathered as I have researched over the years was it was first given to those where the mother's status was positive or unknown, and it eventually became routine as the best place to get every baby vaccinated regardless of the mother's status and whether necessary or not.
I think the history and progression of it being routine is similar to the eye ointment - it initially (and really, still is in reality) was meant to protect babies of mothers who have gonorrhea or chlamydia ONLY. Now, the common reason for it given is for protection from vague infections (and some incorrectly include GBS) as though the birth canal is rife with disease and germs. It's given routinely to all babies even if the mothers have tested negative for those STDs.
The earlier in life you contract hep b, the greater likelihood it will convert into a chronic infection. The conversion rate is about 90% in infants under 1, while it's about 10% for adults.
Given the extremely low probability of my babies becoming infected early on, I delayed the first shot until their two month appointments. My personal feeling is that vaccines make me feel lousy for a day or two. I didn't want my brand new babies feeling that way when they're already making the huge adjustment to the outside world.
See here for more info on hep b: https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs204/en/
I believe I heard this on a recent podcast of Pregtastic (common hospital procedures or something was the title of the episode) that they do this because not all mother's know if they are positive or negative and the hospitals would rather take a "blanket" stance on this and just vaccinate all children because there may be a few who just don't know. The OB on the show was a little more cynical implying that the doctors don't trust mother's to know their own sexual history, which of course is actually very true. Until I got pregnant I don't think I'd ever been tested for it! I even had to request a full test be done since it had been a few years and I worked with children with AIDS (although I've never been improperly exposed, you just never know). And if I had sub-par prenatal care I may not have been at all, so I understand many doctors not wanting to take a mom's word on the subject.
That being said, I DO know, so we will skip this one at birth.
B born 7/15/13, C born 3/2/15, #3 on the way May '17
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I'm normally a lurker of this board, being a FTM I don't feel I have much to offer/share. However, this is a topic that I felt I needed to express my opinion on, so hi everyone!
My husband and I are going to do an alternative vaccine schedule for our son, which was a decision we came upon after LOTS of research. We are also both in the medical field, so making an INFORMED decision is also what was most important to us.
I did wonder myself, why a baby, born to a Hep B negative mother needed a vaccine for this disease, that's passed thru body fluids. The answer I found, is that the CDC determined that it was EASIER to administer & regulate it, if given to newborns, than if they required it at a later age. That's the ONLY reason it is given at such a young age.
I'm sure it's still a lot less than the amount drug companies make off of drugs that are taken regularly (like Lipitor).
Yep.
My daughter got the Hep B vax at birth and my son got it at 2 weeks old. NBD. I'm not particularly worried they will be exposed to it anytime soon, but I didn't really see a downside to vaccinating, besides the momentary pain of the shot itself.