Tetanus shot for 20 month old???

[purplemamaaz]

My DD is 20 months, fell at the park yesterday on the cement and broke open her chin. It was deep enough to require ER care. The ER doc encouraged me to get her a tetanus shot. She said I have a 72 hour window after the injury so I could go to the pediatrician in the today or tomorrow and do it. DD has not been vaccinated at all. We are delaying until after age 3 and then only vaccinating selectively. My oldest DS has autism.

What would you do?

[kiara7]

I would not get her the tetanus, DTaP I assume she was talking about. It's not going to do anything for this injury anyway, even if there was a tetanus risk (sounds like there was not, otherwise they would have offered you the TIg).

[Ophelia]

Did the wound bleed at all? Then my understanding is the risk for tetanus is almost nil.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but seems to me if a person has had no previous tetanus vaccinations, then they will give a tetanus shot in the ER if they suspect tetanus infection. If the person has had previous tetanus shots, they will give the immunoglobulin shot.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Ophelia

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but seems to me if a person has had no previous tetanus vaccinations, then they will give a tetanus shot in the ER if they suspect tetanus infection. If the person has had previous tetanus shots, they will give the immunoglobulin shot.

Other way around.

I don't think the one child a year is going to be this one, though.

[purplemamaaz]

Yes, it bled A LOT! I'm leaning toward not getting the shot. What's the immunoglobulin shot?

[alegna]

That wound is not a tetanus risk.

-Angela

[PassionateWriter]

tetanus cant live in a wound that is openly bleeding....the vax would do NOTHING. Oxygen can not be present for tetanus to live.

[Gitti]

I would not get the tetanus vaccine. First because a wound that bleeds is not conducive to tetanus. Secondly because the tetanus vaccine would't prevent tetanus in a present wound, only in the next one. So if the doc really thought there is a danger of tetanus, s/he would have given the blood tetanus vaccine right then. And besides, the tetanus is not worth anything since it's been watered down so much. I think they actually realize that it is not necessary in the overwhelming majority.

[FernG]

1) I don't think a bleeding wound is a tetanus risk.

2) The vax will not create an immune response in time to prevent tetanus spores from germinating and releasing the toxin that causes the symptoms.

3) If the wound was a true tetanus risk (e.g., crushing, burn w/ dead tissue), your LO would need TIG (the imunoglobulin).