Your Baby’s Immunizations

Your Baby’s Immunizations

April 21st, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

In recent years there has been a lot of controversy surrounding vaccines. However, at this time immunizations are the best method we have of protecting our children from potentially fatal childhood illnesses, many of which are no longer seen in the United States thanks to immunization programs. A recommended immunization schedule has been created to make sure your child gets the vaccinations they need at the appropriate times. Some vaccines have been combined into one shot so that your child needs fewer sticks with a needle.

The Standard Schedule of Immunizations

The CDC has a recommended schedule of vaccinations, which should be followed to maximize your child’s protection. If you are interested in an alternate schedule, discuss it with your child’s doctor to be sure you have all the information to weigh the pros and cons. The standard schedule for the first two years is as follows:

At Birth

Before your baby leaves the hospital, the first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine will likely be administered. If it is not given in the hospital, your baby’s doctor will administer it at the first check up.

At 1-2 Months Old

If your baby had the first Hepatitis B vaccine at birth, the second one may be given at one month old, or your doctor may wait until two months old. At two months, your baby will also receive the following vaccines:

  • DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough)
  • Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b)
  • Polio, or IPV
  • RV (rotavirus)
  • PCV (pneumococcal disease)

At 4 Months Old

Your baby will receive another round of shots similar to the ones given at the 2 month visit. Many vaccines require two or more shots to be completely effective, so don’t be surprised if you see the same ones repeatedly. At four months your baby will once again receive:

  • DTaP
  • Hib
  • Polio, or IPV
  • RV
  • PCV

At 6 Months Old

At your baby’s 6 month visit, your baby will receive another round of the same vaccines you have seen before. In addition to these shots, you may be offered an influenza vaccine depending on the season during which baby’s 6 month visit is scheduled. At this visit, your baby will receive shots for:

  • DTaP
  • Hib
  • PCV

Also optional at this visit is the next round of Hepatitis B and Polio vaccines, which should be given between 6 and 18 months of age.

At 12 to 15 Months Old

At the 12 month visit, you will see some new vaccines as well as more of the ones your child has received previously. All of these vaccines can be given between 12 and 15 months old, so you can choose to do them all at once, or split them up. Again, influenza will be offered seasonally. The 12 to 15 month shots are:

  • PCV
  • Hib
  • Varicella (chicken pox)
  • MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
  • Hepatitis A

At 15 to 18 Months Old

At the 15 month check up, your child will receive any vaccines you chose to put off from the 12 month visit. Baby will also be due for one more DTaP shot between 15-18 months. As with previous visits, influenza may be an option depending on the season.

Your doctor will help to make sure all of baby’s vaccinations are on schedule, and answer any questions you might have about the immunizations.

The First Days with Your New Baby

The First Days with Your New Baby

March 31st, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

There is nothing like the magical moment when you see your long-awaited baby for the first time. The first few days of life with baby are both the most wonderful and some of the most challenging for new parents. Suddenly everything has changed, and your world revolves around this tiny little person whose health and well-being are entirely in your hands.

What Your Baby Looks Like

Years of seeing babies being “born” on television and in movies have ill prepared new parents for the reality of a newborn. Your baby might not be the perfect bundle of joy you were expecting. The process of birth can be difficult on a baby, especially with a long vaginal birth. You might see things like a cone-shaped head, squished nose, and red marks on baby’s face and body.

Babies often have blotchy skin and still have some of the waxy white coating on their skin known as vernix, which covers a baby’s skin in the uterus to protect it from the long exposure to amniotic fluid. It is not uncommon for babies to be born with a little extra hair on their bodies as well. Both of these will soon be gone.

Your baby will also have a piece of the umbilical cord still attached, which will be clamped off at first. This usually falls off within the first few weeks of life. You may notice that your baby’s genitals appear swollen – this is a normal reaction to hormones passed from the mother, and will recede over time.

What Your Baby Needs

In the first days of life, what your baby will do most is eat and sleep. It is not unusual for baby to fall asleep not long after birth; after all, it has been a long and trying day. While it is tempting to stay awake and watch this sleeping miracle you have waited so long to see, new moms should take advantage of their newborn’s naps to get some much needed rest as well. Sleep in the first days will be erratic, so get it while you can!

If you are breastfeeding your baby, you may put her to the breast immediately following birth, but don’t expect much. She may be tired and has not yet mastered latching on, although the sucking reflex is well developed in full-term infants. When she is awake, you can try again. The first few days are a time for mom and baby to learn the ropes of nursing. Don’t be concerned if your baby doesn’t seem to be eating a lot at first. She is still being sustained by nutrients passed through the umbilical cord, and her appetite will soon grow.

It is entirely normal for a newborn to lose up to 10% of her birth weight within the first few days of life. Your doctor will monitor her weight to ensure it starts to climb again.

Bringing Baby Home

Depending on whether you had a vaginal birth or a caesarean section, you will likely be in the hospital for the first 2-4 days of your baby’s life. During this time you will have the assistance of the nurses in caring for your baby. Don’t be surprised if going home, that much anticipated event, feels a bit overwhelming or even frightening. This is a normal reaction to the realization of the monumental task before you.

In these early days, focus on caring for your new baby and yourself. Don’t worry about the housework, and if you have offers of help don’t be afraid to accept. The first days with a newborn are exhausting and challenging, especially for moms recovering from a difficult birth or from a c-section.

Remember that both you and your newborn are making a major adjustment to a whole new life, and there are bound to be some bumps in the road. You will soon settle into a new routine, and things will smooth out again.

What to Ask when Choosing a Pediatrician

What to Ask when Choosing a Pediatrician

March 10th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Your child’s pediatrician will play an important role in her life from the day she is born. You will want to find someone you like, trust, and can depend on to listen to your concerns and always help you make the right decisions for your child’s health. Most pediatricians are available for prenatal interviews, to help you in your decision prior to baby’s birth. Asking the right questions will make it easier to narrow down the choices.

Where to Start

Choosing doctors to interview out of a phone book is both tedious and overwhelming. Rather than wasting your time, ask for recommendations from family, friends and your obstetrician. You can then shorten this list by checking it against your insurance company’s list to cut out any doctors not covered under your plan. You might also want to strike off the list any doctor who lives too far away from your home.

Questions to Ask About the Office

When you call to make an appointment with the doctor, you can get a few important questions out of the way over the phone. Important general things to know about the office:

  • What are the office hours, and do they offer any evening or weekend appointments?
  • Does the office have separate waiting rooms for well and sick children?
  • How far in advance do they require well-child visits to be made, and how quickly are they generally able to schedule a sick child?
  • Do they offer a 24-hour on call physician?
  • Do they have advice nurses available for questions, and will you also be able to speak to the doctor over the phone should you need to?
  • Do they have plentiful parking, and is it free?

When talking with the staff member who answers to phone you can learn a lot about the practice. If you don’t find them friendly and helpful over the phone, they aren’t likely to be that way in person. Think of this phone call as an additional screening tool.

Questions to Ask the Pediatrician

When you head out to meet with a potential doctor for your baby, it’s a good idea to write down a list of the questions you would like to ask. Think of questions that will help you to determine whether or not you and the doctor are on the same page when it comes to decisions about your child’s health. Here are some questions to consider:

  • What is the doctor’s view on topics like breastfeeding versus formula feeding, alternate vaccination schedules, circumcision and natural or alternative treatments?
  • What type of continuing education do they pursue to keep up on current research and treatments?
  • How long have they been practicing?
  • What hospital(s) are they affiliated with?
  • Do they generally come to the hospital to see the baby at birth or will you come to the office for the initial visit?
  • Will your child always see his own doctor, or will other doctors at the practice be involved in his care as well?

You can learn a lot from this initial visit to a potential pediatrician; not just from the answers to your questions, but from the doctor’s demeanor as well. Is the doctor friendly, responsive, and open to your questions? Did you feel you were heard and taken seriously? The way a doctor responds to you in this initial interview will likely be the same manner they display in visits with your child. If you didn’t feel comfortable, felt rushed or that your questions weren’t important, keep looking.

Finding the right doctor for your child might take some time and effort, but knowing you can trust this person with your child’s health is well worth it.