heart condition = need to vax?

[shoes]

I just had a baby 2 weeks ago with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). She just had her first of 3 surgeries and is still recovering in the hospital. The doctor here told us with her heart condition we really need to vax her. He said the Hep B needs to be done before her discharge. Our 2 year old is unvaxinated and we were planning on exempting her sister too. Is there any reason why having a heart condition makes vaxing a good idea? Does it somehow make the risks of NOT vaxing bigger? We didn't know about her heart condition until 3 days after she was born and we still are trying to figure it all out. I kinda feel like the doctor is trying to bully us into it while we are preoccupied with bigger things right now. I dont know a whole lot about vaccinces. I just learned enough to know I don't want that junk in my babies. If anyone knows any more in depth knowledge about vaccinations and heart conditions, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

[runes]

first of all, congratulations on the birth of your little one!!

imho it's pretty irresponsible that there are doctors out there that recommend vaxes for newborns with serious health issues such as your baby's. vaccines are not safety tested on children with heart problems. as a parent, that would be reason enough for me NOT to vaccinate. the reasoning of "your baby is sicker, so is at a higher risk" is not based on science AT ALL.

wishing your little one health and healing.

[runes]

is this your dd's pediatrician or cardiologist that said this?

[alegna]

Here's the thing- NONE of the vaccines have been tested on kids with a heart condition like your daughter. There is no data at all.

Do you want your daughter to be a test case for the pharma companies?

-Angela

[CrazyCatLady]

Nobody "needs" to vax. I get what you meant though. What I don't get is why Hep B would be a priority in your child's case? (and I'm trying to think from a mainstream point of view here).

Off of the top of my head I can't think of any vax that may benefit a baby with a heart issue (maybe the flu vax if it were actually worth something). I can think of some that I could justify for a preteen or adult if the heart condition were still a problem.

I hope others can help you with more research. But the fact is what the others are saying here is true. They exclude children with any sort of health problem what so ever from vaccine trials. Knowing that would really concern me if I were in your shoes. What are they trying to hide when they do that?

[Gitti]

Ask your doctor whether this or any vaccine has ever been tested on children with the type of heart condition and surgery that your dc had?

And please, he should show you the study.

Why in the world would a child who has a heart condition be more vulnerable for getting a sexually transmitted disease? And if the doc thought about further surgery, what does that say for the blood bank?

I am livid that a doctor would recommend such an asinine thing.

[shoes]

Originally Posted by kidspiration

is this your dd's pediatrician or cardiologist that said this?

It was the NICU doctor.

[2Sweeties1Angel]

There is no way I'd vaccinate an already weakened child. All the crap in vaccines is hard enough on healthy children.

[tiffer23]

Since I'm not in your situation, I can't say 100% for sure what I would do. I really don't think I would vaccinate though. As she is already having some issues, I can only see vaccinations making her little body work harder which can't be good right now. I'd say NO WAY to the vaccines.

[Deborah]

I think that argument comes out of the "any excuse will do to push vaxes" school of thought. Doctors get a lot of pressure to sign on for this approach and most of them a)don't know much about vaxes and b)don't know who vaxes are tested on. Some doctors combine ignorance and fanaticism on vaxes, which doesn't do much for the safety of their patients.

[Science Mom]

Shoes, I am so sorry for what your baby and your family are enduring; I wish you all the best. You needn't discuss your baby's surgery, so my suggestion to you would be to consult with your baby's cardiologist and an immunologist. That particular condition as I understand may require a thymectomy and immunosuppressive drugs which will greatly impact T-cell function (cell mediated immunity) and overall immune function respectively and some vaccinations may very well be indicated or not. So please make this difficult determination after you have acquired the appropriate consultations and feel comfortable with the knowledge. Take care.

SM

[momazon4]

My ds(now 5) had a heart condition when born although not as severe as your babe's. My naturopath said not to vax him, under any circumstances, because his system was simply too weak to handle it. That's just my personal story, it's the kind of thing every parent has to decide for themselves.

[iris0110]

I'm sorry that your daughter has had such a rough start in life. I am with all of the other mom's on not vaxing. But even if there is some merit to some of the vax's the one the DR is insisting she have before leaving the hospital is the most rediculous of them all. He wants you to vaccinate your sick baby against an STD? Is she going to go home and engage in promiscous sex and needle sharing? IT is also a very dangerous vax. If nothing else that particular suggestion would call into question everything that particular dr tells you. Even if you decide to vax later because you and her dr come to the conclusion that in her weakened state it might be best for her, you would still be more than safe in skipping the Hep B.

[suschi]

Originally Posted by Science Mom

That particular condition as I understand may require a thymectomy and immunosuppressive drugs which will greatly impact T-cell function (cell mediated immunity) and overall immune function respectively and some vaccinations may very well be indicated or not.
SM

In small infants, if the surgery is done thru the chest, it's common for part of the thymus to be removed to give the sugeron access to the heart. Our surgeon told us that by the time a baby is born, the thymus has done it's job, so no need to worry about taking part of it out.

From what I have read since, the thymus continues to quite active well after puberty!

[suschi]

Originally Posted by kidspiration

is this your dd's pediatrician or cardiologist that said this?

Do cardiologists in general know anything about immunizations? The pediatric ones we have seen don't.

[mom0810]

I have a friend whose nephew also has this condition, and they were told that not only does HE need every vaccination (including yearly flu shots) but EVERYONE in their family that is going to be around him must also have everything. Yearly. He has two older sibs that get every possible shot imaginable.

[G&B'sMama]

I don't usually post on this forum, but I saw this thread when I was scanning through the mainpage. I don't want to get flamed here- but I will share with you my experience.

I think you have a big decision. I was in the same spot as you 6 years ago and I decided to vax my DD after having spent a long time weighing and considering vaccinations and basically deciding not to vax at all. I am not sure if it was the right or the wrong thing to do- but I gave a lot of consideration to the various risks and decided that for us it was what we should do. We had a pediatrician at the time who was just fine with us not vaxing until our DD was born with a serious heart condition. The reason he recommended vaxing for kids with heart problems is that in the event that they contract some of the vaccine preventable illnesses- they are more likely to have serious complications, including periocarditis and endocarditis. So we started on a revised vax schedule that included vaxing for some of the vaccine preventable illnesses that were in our community at that time. I felt comfortable with the selected/delayed schedule that we worked out.

Subsequently, both my kids have been vaxed for illnesses prevalent in our community on a selected/delayed schedule- even my son who was born healthy. I understand and support others who have made a different choice for their families. I am sure that the others who are posted are right that there haven't been (and there never will be) clinical trials for vaccines for kids with heart defects. I think there are serious questions about administering vaccines to people with compromised immune systems. I still feel that I made the right choice for my family.

[runes]

Originally Posted by suschi

Do cardiologists in general know anything about immunizations? The pediatric ones we have seen don't.

that's why i was asking!

[momto l&a]

My mom was born with a heart problem.

Her dr told her mother to NEVER get her vaccinated because of her heart.

Well she never has been and shes about 70 years old in perfect health

[LongIsland]

Originally Posted by shoes

He said the Hep B needs to be done before her discharge.

And what compelling reason did he give you? Why MUST your hep b negative child get the shot before discharge?

Your child has no greater chance getting hepatitis B than any other child ... and that's little to no chance.

As usual, another doctor talking out of their arse. What does this doc think? Someone's going to cough on your child and they're going to give your child hep b?