Non-vaxxed baby and sick Great-Grampa

[Tiffany_in_ga]

My 2.5-month-old (non vaxxed) will be seeing her great-grampa next month. He's had numerous health problems lately, and a weakened immune system. In and out of the hospitals, doctor's offices, etc. Nothing he's dealing with is contagious, but obviously the hospital stays offer plenty of crap to expose him to.

Is this any cause for concern? Any precautions I should take?

This is my first non-vaxxed child, so bear with me if I sound overly worried!!

[emma1325]

I wouldn't worry, especially if you're breastfeeding. Even if you're not, your baby still has a lot of antibodies from you.

[MyBoysBlue]

I would just avoid visiting him in the hospital. I personally avoid the hospital if possible myself just because they tend to be germy places and I am fully vaxed.

[stormborn]

I wouldn't worry about it. Both of my immune compromised parents live with us and neither of our dd's are vaxxed (8 & 1 yo); it's never been an issue for anyone involved. I'm their Dr appt transportation as well so the kids are usually in those germ-filled waiting rooms too. We just try to wash hands well as we leave Doc or hospitals.

It could be an inconvenience when/if we expose the kids to pox, etc because my mom takes immunosuppressants(sp?that looks wrong) so we might have to limit contact then but thats the only problem I can think of.

[larkedyflarp]

The things he would come in contact with aren't likely things that are vaccinated against for anyway, so there's really no difference that him behing vaxed or not.....

[Emmeline II]

I would keep your babe slinged if you could and wash your hands well before touching your babe and after leaving the hospital.

There is no vaccine for hospital "crap" like MRSA, so I don't see how vaccination status is relevant.

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by Emmeline II

There is no vaccine for hospital "crap" like MRSA, so I don't see how vaccination status is relevant.

Right!

My vax-free grandchildren are in contact with sick people quite a bit (aunt, other grandmother...) and we just don't worry about it at all. They have an immune system which contains everything or manufactures everything they need to keep healthy or heal them.

(No one, not even the most astute immunologist, understands the immune system btw. Modern medicine knows less about it than we know about the solar system - which is virtually nothing.)

[amyandelle]

I would not worry. My Grandpa was sick for over 2 years in and out of hospital's, dialysis 3 times a week, nurses coming in and out of the house ect. We live upstairs and went down to see him about once a week and everyone was just fine even our newborn. None of our girls are vaxed

Amy

[alegna]

great-grandpa will have had all the things they vax for as a kid

-Angela

[ZoeyZoo]

I would just make sure to wash hands as often as possible. This happened to me a few months after DD was born. DD was HBed so she had never been in a hospital. Her grand parent suffered a lot of health issues and we had to visit him in the hospital. I just washed my hands after touching anything there and had everyone wash their hands before touching her. DD is 15 months now and has still never been sick.