What are the "routine" vaccines in the beginning?

[paintedfire]

I'm expecting my first child come January. I have no idea what vaccines are normally administered at birth/the first few months - or even within the first year, for that matter.

I lean towards not vaccinating but I really don't know much about it other than that the whole idea makes me nervous. I need to educate myself better on this issue, so I thought I'd come to people who (obviously) know far more about it than me.

[alegna]

At birth the only current vax is hep. B.

In the first few years there are dozens. Google vaccine schedule and you should find a list.

-Angela

[MountainMamaGC]

You also may want to read about the Vitamin K shot. That is also administered at birth.

[paintedfire]

Originally Posted by alegna

At birth the only current vax is hep. B.

In the first few years there are dozens. Google vaccine schedule and you should find a list.

-Angela

Wow. That's a lot of disease they're pumping into babies in just a years time. Yikes.

I can't see anything I feel is worth putting into my baby though.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by Lydiah

You also may want to read about the Vitamin K shot. That is also administered at birth.

I knew about the vitamin K, but didn't know what is was for. I guess I'll be declining that as well.

Thanks!

[1stTimeMama4-4-10]

The things that are routinely administered at birth are:

Hep B - as I understand it, this is administered to all babies because for babies who are really at risk for this illness, it's impossible to just single them out because what makes them high risk is being born to mothers who are intravenous drug users or have unprotected sex. It's not legal to target women who are suspected to be high risk, so it's just given to everyone. It's easy to decline.

Vitamin K - as I understand this, baby blood doesn't have the ability to clot like adult blood, and for a traumatic (i.e. excessively long labor/pushing, use of forceps or vacuum extraction) birth, these babies can be at risk of a brain hemorrhage. Again, easy to decline.

Erythromycin - this is the eye goop that is meant to protect baby eyes from infection from gonorrhea. Again, easy to decline.

This is the link to the AAP's recommended vaccine schedule. http://www.aap.org/immunization/IZSchedule.html

[nia82]

Since you are in New York state, you cannot refuse the vitamin K shot nor the antibiotic eye ointment. It is a law there with no loopholes. The only way to get around it is a homebirth attendant who is willing to say they administered it or delivering in NJ/CT, whatever is closer to you.

The HepB shot at birth is only given in the United States. We don't do that in Europe as it is easy to single out mothers who are carries of the disease, a simple blood test can show whether you have Hepatitis B or not. And if the mother actually has HepB, the shot will do little, actually an immunoglobin shot is administered to the newborn, and only later on a HepB shot. So I really wouldn't worry about that, as HepB is standard testing in prenatals.

All the other shots you can find at the links provided. I was quite baffled I saw it for the first time as all that I got as a kid was DTP, OPV (oral polio, no longer in use in the industrialized countries for its dangers) and a measles shot. I also didn't get any shots til I was 6 months old, while now they are starting at 2 months. I googled all the package inserts of the shots, read about the disease itself and decided from there. DS hasn't had any shots yet, we are not excluding it, but so far none of them are worth it to us. I am worried about measles, but Merck stopped producing the measles only vaccine and I would never get the MMR (I received the MMR at age 24 and had a horrible reaction that lasted months to recover from) - mumps nor rubella don't worry me at all, are pretty harmless to children (I have had them, so did my peers). So just read up about it and do your research so you can come to your own conclusion at your personal comfort level.

[MountainMamaGC]

There are oral vitamin K drops available. Just make sure to give your baby all the recommended doses. If thats what you choose to do that is. Some parents do nothing and thats ok too.