Mirzam: No, no. I'm not set on giving her this vaccine at all. I'm really torn over it, that's why I'm trying to get as much information and opinions as possible on it.
Well, if you are not completely sold on the Hep B, absolutely do not get it in the hospital. That way, you aren't putting any pressure on yourself to make a decision before Ruby is born. Just be very, very clear with the hospital staff that you do not want it.
Thanks, Mirzam. What is your stance on the Vitamin K shot?
Thanks, Mirzam. What is your stance on the Vitamin K shot?
I am not sure I am the right person to ask this question to because my opinion is no to the vit K shot. Again DD1 got it, (hospital c-sec birth) and my other two didn't (home births - youngest with a UC - planned unassisted birth). With my first, I just went along with whatever the dr and hospital's procedures were without question.
Back to Hep B, Louisw has just posted a new thread in the general vaccine forum with some research you might want to read. Abstract "Vaccines can have adverse side-effects, and these...
nutritionjulia - why not just wait until the baby is a little bit older to administer HepB? The argument that it's easier to do it when they're a newborn because they're protected for life ignores the belief that a tiny newborn body with an immature immune system may react negatively to vaccines. If they may benefit from HepB when they're adolescents and more at risk, just get it when they're bigger!
I think that's what I want to do myself... wait till she's a little older to do the HepB vaccine. Is there a good timeframe to wait until to do that?
Over here , they give it at about a year , at least that´s when my older kids got it and never had any problems with it
Just to let you know - newborn jaundice is very common and occurs for reasons that have nothing to do with hepatitis B or C. It also is normally self-limiting or can be resolved with non-invasive treatment. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/infant-jaundice/DS00107
Hi Erica,
Good luck with the iminent birth of your baby. If your baby healthy, there is no reason to delay the vaccine. I had it done for my little girl when she was born, and she is fit as a fiddle. I did not notice any side effects from the vaccine. I am glad she is protected from hepatitis and that is one less thing I have to worry about her for the rest of her life.
Hi Erica,
Good luck with the iminent birth of your baby. If your baby healthy, there is no reason to delay the vaccine. I had it done for my little girl when she was born, and she is fit as a fiddle. I did not notice any side effects from the vaccine. I am glad she is protected from hepatitis and that is one less thing I have to worry about her for the rest of her life.
That is one anecdote. Here is another (caution, disturbing images and infant loss mentioned):
Hi Erica,
Good luck with the iminent birth of your baby. If your baby healthy, there is no reason to delay the vaccine. I had it done for my little girl when she was born, and she is fit as a fiddle. I did not notice any side effects from the vaccine. I am glad she is protected from hepatitis and that is one less thing I have to worry about her for the rest of her life.
There is no reason to do it, either. If she is worried about Hep B, do it later. A newborn has almost no risk of Hep B, unless the mother has it. Surely the argument for injecting something into a newborn must be more than - they are healthy, so why not? Do you take medicine you do not need? Me, neither.
Here is another article on Hep B and its potential issues.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/new-study-hepatitis-b-vac_b_289288.html
As per a timeline for when to give Hep B if you choose to, here are 2 ideas:
1. Early adolescence. Hep B. is considered a sexually transmitted disease. It is also common in intravenous drug users.
2. Before daycare or regularly scheduled play dates and the like begin. There might a tiny risk from bites, etc - although the articles below say that 95% of Hep B cases relate to sexual activity and intravenous drug use. It also mentions that Hep B vax might wear off by adolescence.
http://www.smartvax.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93
http://www.smartvax.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=54
Be aware that Hep B vax at birth can interfere with breast feeding, it took my DD six weeks to be able to latch on properly, thankfully I persevered with nursing and she went on to wean at four years old. Babies two and three had no latch issues and also nursed past their fourth birthday.
Was just checking out this thread and I had to chime in and say that the correlation between vax and trouble breastfeeding does NOT equal causation. My DD was born in a freestanding birth center, completely intervention free, drug free, no HepB shot, no eye ointment, no nothing. And yet, despite my very strong desire to breastfeed, consults with IBCLCs, and weeks of trying, she just. would. not. breastfeed. No matter how hard I tried. So, there's that, FWIW.
At any rate, I would (and did) refuse the newborn HepB.
Be aware that Hep B vax at birth can interfere with breast feeding, it took my DD six weeks to be able to latch on properly, thankfully I persevered with nursing and she went on to wean at four years old. Babies two and three had no latch issues and also nursed past their fourth birthday.
Was just checking out this thread and I had to chime in and say that the correlation between vax and trouble breastfeeding does NOT equal causation. My DD was born in a freestanding birth center, completely intervention free, drug free, no HepB shot, no eye ointment, no nothing. And yet, despite my very strong desire to breastfeed, consults with IBCLCs, and weeks of trying, she just. would. not. breastfeed. No matter how hard I tried. So, there's that, FWIW.
At any rate, I would (and did) refuse the newborn HepB.
Didn't say that Hep B was the only cause of trouble breastfeeding there are many reasons, but it can be an issue. Sorry you had a problem with breastfeeding.
Was just checking out this thread and I had to chime in and say that the correlation between vax and trouble breastfeeding does NOT equal causation. My DD was born in a freestanding birth center, completely intervention free, drug free, no HepB shot, no eye ointment, no nothing. And yet, despite my very strong desire to breastfeed, consults with IBCLCs, and weeks of trying, she just. would. not. breastfeed. No matter how hard I tried. So, there's that, FWIW.
There are multiple causes for breast feeding issues.
Here are the common side effects from Hep B, per CDC:
I have nursed 3 children. Getting a newborn to latch on can be tricky - particularly for first time moms. I would not want to be dealing with an infant with a sore leg (which might make them hard to hold) or a fever which might make them a touch sleepy or fussy when initiating breastfeeding.
To each their own. I don't think the above is major, and it would not deter me if I were Hep B positive and wanted to give the shot to a newborn, but it is a mild "con" overall.
I am sorry you had such a hard time with the nursing 
That is one anecdote. Here is another:
That links needs to come with a warning 
According to the CDC, the risk of severe allergic reaction is 1 in 1 million. It is a tiny risk, I know - but if the mother does not have Hep. B the baby is at virtually no risk of catching it. Why risk it?
Hep B. might be linked to Lupus and MS?
http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/us-concedes-hep-b-causes-lupus/
That links needs to come with a warning
According to the CDC, the risk of severe allergic reaction is 1 in 1 million. It is a tiny risk, I know - but if the mother has does not have Hep. B the baby is at virtually no risk of catching it. Why risk it?
Hep B. might be linked to Lupus and MS?
http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/us-concedes-hep-b-causes-lupus/
Sorry! I will edit.
And 1 in 1 million...the shot is given two or three times in infancy, right? That's a lot of severe allergic reactions going on with all the babies born in the US.
Was just checking out this thread and I had to chime in and say that the correlation between vax and trouble breastfeeding does NOT equal causation. My DD was born in a freestanding birth center, completely intervention free, drug free, no HepB shot, no eye ointment, no nothing. And yet, despite my very strong desire to breastfeed, consults with IBCLCs, and weeks of trying, she just. would. not. breastfeed. No matter how hard I tried. So, there's that, FWIW.
At any rate, I would (and did) refuse the newborn HepB.
I'm sorry for the difficulty you had, but that just means that the vax isn't the ONLY reason for trouble breastfeeding, and neither is c-section, prematurity, delayed skin to skin contact, etc. But it still holds that the vax can be the cause of trouble with breastfeeding.
Think oral Vit K - all the benefits with no risks
I didn't get anything, fit k, vaccines etc etc.
We are all happy and healthy and any time I freak out (mostly because of how people view vaccines...I sometimes think...oh my word, am I mad to not?) I go and look up my reasons for not and almost instantly feel at peace with the whole thing, and relieved that I chose not to.
I hope you find the decision that is right for you. Don't let fear make decisions for you, but find which option gives you peace after doing the research.
That's my best advice for you!
OK, let's work on the numbers. 1 in a million babies have a severe allergic reaction. There were around 4 million babies born in the USA last year, and assuming all got a full three doses of the vaccine, that would mean 12 million doses, therefore 12 severe allergic reactions.
On the other hand, according to this FOX news article, the number of infants getting a chronic hepatitis B infection halved after routine vaccination, from 260 to 130 (note that not all infants avoid infection because not all are vaccinated, or fully vaccinated, or have an immune reaction). For the infants that were successfully vaccinated, they are protected from hepatitis B for the rest of their lives. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/03/28/hepatitis-b-program-helps-cut-infant-infections/
That is the trade-off, 12 severe allergic reactions (which may be life-threatening but won't necessarily cause any permanent damage) for 130 prevented cases of chronic hepatitis contracted in infancy, and many more in adolescents and adults. As the vaccination program continues, the number of cases of liver disease in the population (currently 4,000-5,000 death a year) will steadily decrease.
I would also like to add that the reason why newborn infants are vaccinated is twofold: they are much more susceptible to hepatitis B infections, and hepatitis B screening does not reach all pregnant women. Not all women can afford to pay for screening in pregnancy. There is a lag time for the disease to develop and show up on tests. Women can also be infected between being tested and giving birth. Infants are at a much higher risk of developing the chronic hepatitis that leads to liver disease. Around 90% of infected infants that get hepatitis B get chronic liver disease, compared to only 10% of adults. Around 25% of people with chronic liver disease die of the disease. The CDC has detailed information here: http://www.cdc.gov/MMWr/preview/mmwrhtml/00033405.htm
OK, let's work on the numbers. 1 in a million babies have a severe allergic reaction. There were around 4 million babies born in the USA last year, and assuming all got a full three doses of the vaccine, that would mean 12 million doses, therefore 12 severe allergic reactions.
On the other hand, according to this FOX news article, the number of infants getting a chronic hepatitis B infection halved after routine vaccination, from 260 to 130 (note that not all infants avoid infection because not all are vaccinated, or fully vaccinated, or have an immune reaction). For the infants that were successfully vaccinated, they are protected from hepatitis B for the rest of their lives. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/03/28/hepatitis-b-program-helps-cut-infant-infections/
That is the trade-off, 12 severe allergic reactions (which may be life-threatening but won't necessarily cause any permanent damage) for 130 prevented cases of chronic hepatitis contracted in infancy, and many more in adolescents and adults. As the vaccination program continues, the number of cases of liver disease in the population (currently 4,000-5,000 death a year) will steadily decrease.
I would also like to add that the reason why newborn infants are vaccinated is twofold: they are much more susceptible to hepatitis B infections, and hepatitis B screening does not reach all pregnant women. Not all women can afford to pay for screening in pregnancy. There is a lag time for the disease to develop and show up on tests. Women can also be infected between being tested and giving birth. Infants are at a much higher risk of developing the chronic hepatitis that leads to liver disease. Around 90% of infected infants that get hepatitis B get chronic liver disease, compared to only 10% of adults. Around 25% of people with chronic liver disease die of the disease. The CDC has detailed information here: http://www.cdc.gov/MMWr/preview/mmwrhtml/00033405.htm
That's a lot of weak justification for a vaccine that could kill (and has killed) a newborn with no risk factors.
I won't believe that any vaccine gives "protection" from any disease for life until it has been around for full lifetimes. In the early days of the MMR, it was said that one dose would give an individual immunity for life. We now know that that is not true.
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