Need input/advie on vaxing FTT toddler.

[m_and_m]

Hi,

I need some objective input on vaxing my DD, I'm currently being mentally pulled in different directions.

Vax History: We decided to go with Dr Sears' Selective Vaccination Schedule, minus Rotavirus. My intent was to do Hep B and Polio when she was much older and MMR/Var/Hep A if she didn't have positive titers at a much older age as well. I included a copy of the schedule at the bottom of my post for reference.
We decided to go with this schedule because I don't like that there are no conclusive answers as to the toxicity of the shots, specifically giving so many at once (CDC schedule). I especially do not like the idea of giving so much to a very young developing body in such a short period. I also don't think they are all 100% necessary if you have a healthy, strong, well developing child.

DD's History: She is 20.5 months old, still BF ~6x a day. She has been SAH with me since birth but does go to MDO for 3 hours a week. The biggest issue is her weight. She was around 50% until 6mos then dropped to well below the 3% line by her birthday. She is no longer even maintaining any kind of curve; even working with a nutritionist to increase her caloric intake has not helped. Her other growth is fine, but slow (head, height, feet). She got sick in February and was hospitalized for a week due to dehydration and weight loss (over a pound in a week, she was almost 17# when she got sick). While she was there they ran every test known to babykind to figure out what was making her so sick as well as ruling out various reasons she would have stopped gaining weight. There were some weird results on some test results, but nothing conclusive on either front although they determined she had some sort of temporary hepatitis.

We're still keeping an eye on her weight, but the biggest issue right now (since we know she's otherwise healthy) is "What will happen if she gets sick again?" She just doesn't have the reserves to fight it off, and if it's a serious illness (say, M M or R that she's not vaxed against) then it could be much worse.

My Dilemma: DD is not vaxed for MMR, Varicella, Hep A, or Hep B. I am not so worried about Hep B or Varicella, but I am concerned about MMR and Hep A. She's not officially immune compromised, but she is at higher risk. However, I don't feel 100% comfortable giving these to her because she is so much smaller than the children they were developed for, and also because MMR is not currently available individually. To top it off, she is about to go into FT daycare. I will be working there as well so she will get some antibodies to whatever is floating around but we all know that isn't 100% protection so she'll be at higher risk than she has been.

So I'm looking for input on which is the lesser evil- forgoing MMR and Hep A knowing she is likely to be more ill than other children if she gets either, or giving her something I think is risky in general and especially so when it was developed for children significantly larger than her?

Obviously I want what's best for her long term, but I'm torn on this. I'm open to any resources, opinions, advice, etc on this.

Thanks,
Mar



2 months - DTaP, Rotavirus
3 months - PC, Hib
4 months - DTaP, Rotavirus
5 months - PC, Hib
6 months - DTaP, Rotavirus
7 months - PC, Hib
15 months - PC, Hib
5 years - Tetanus booster
10 years - Blood tests for measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and hep A immunity. Consider vaccinating if not immune. Also consider a 3-dose polio series if travel to Africa or Asia is a possibility.
11 years - HPV (3 doses, girls only)
12 years - Hep B (3 doses)

[Marnica]

Well first of all, Im sorry your DD is having issues. Hopefully you can get some definitive answers soon. As to your dillemma I can't tell you what I think you should do but I can urge you to think about a few things

1) The shots are not developed for children. The MMR that your DD would get is the same as you would be given as an adult.

2) About Hep A :

In Europe, the United States and other industrialized countries, on the other hand, the infection is contracted primarily by susceptible young adults, most of whom are infected with the virus during trips to countries with a high incidence of the disease.[3]

will you be travelling to a third world country with your DD??

[ammiga]

Why are you more concerned about dd catching MMR than CP? All are normal childhood diseases.

I don't vax, but I would be even more hesitant to vax a child with health and weight issues than one who is healthy. I believe that the immune system is forced to fight a bunch of toxins, in addition to the diseases, all of which are introduced in an unnatural way, without giving the body's natural defenses a chance to work properly.

We found the information and video sample on www.brainguardmd.com to be very informative.

[2boyzmama]

I also have a "FTT" toddler (I put that in quotes, because it's a very subjective diagnosis, and I disagree with it in my son's case). He is 29 months old and weighs 22 pounds (birth weight was 8-4, so he hasn't even tripled birth weight yet). Now, we know why he's so small, he has a chromosomal syndrome that causes multiple complex medical problems. Small stature is common in his syndrome, although he is among the smaller even compared to his syndrome's growth charts.

While I'm on that topic...have you been to a geneticist? It might be worth ruling out anything hiding in her chromosomes, although it's unlikely.

We are faced with the same dilemma...he does have an immune deficiency that does put him at higher risk of contracting illness and of serious complications from illness. It would seem at first glance that he needs vaccines MORE than other kids, not LESS. And I am very scared every winter, he has had some doozy illnesses! He has no reserves on him to get him through an illness, and try as we might, we can't get any more weight on him (short of a g-tube, which several of his drs really want him to have just so we can artificially pump calories into him, but I haven't allowed it).

We focus on keeping him as healthy as possible...lots of breastmilk, semi-isolation during the winter months, supplements at times (Vit C, Omegas), a robust diet heavy in fruits and veggies (I have learned to hide veggies in lots of foods!), lots of good natural Vit D exposure, enough sleep, etc. When he is sick, I keep him home and near me at all times, giving him as much breastmilk as he'll take. If we're in the hospital, we're always in a private room, and I'm with him 24/7 breastfeeding nearly continuously.

I am prepared for him to need an ng-tube if an illness hits...he was inpatient for a week in Feb with rotavirus, lost over 10% of his body weight, and was so weak he coudln't even sit up at one point...I was expecting the recommendation for an ng-tube, but slowly he started eating again. He was on IV nutrition for several days.

He has had suspected Rubella, and I have to say that it was one of the easier illnesses for him to get over since it was so short (2 days of fever and vomiting triggered by the fever, 3 days of bad rash, then it was done). He also has had chicken pox, and it lasted a LONG time (he was actively shedding it for 9 weeks, confirmed by the Infectious Disease specialist at our Chidlren's Hospital who said he had never seen it shed that long before!) and he did have a few spots that got slightly infected, but honestly it was easier than I expected.

I don't worry about Hep A or B, although I did pause for jsut a bit because he's an increased need for a blood transfusion as he's had several surgeries and will need more. I just don't think he's at enough risk to be concerned with either of those.

Measles and Mumps honestly I haven't put much thought into because he's medically contraindicated from receiving live viral vaccines. When he got chicken pox, we put him on the anti-virals right away because his specific immune deficiency meant complications were much more likely. I wonder if there are anti-virals that would help against measles or mumps? I don't honestly know.

You might try posting over in the Special Needs forum...get copies of all her labs and post which tests she had done, and what the results were. There are some very smart mamas over there who are very familiar with lab work and might help you interpret some of it.