Saturday, November 15, 2008

Immunizations

Have you all decided whether you will have your infants immunized? If so, are you going to follow all of the recommendations for immunization prior to 1 years of age? I still am confused about this decision. One of our friends recommended that we wait until our child is 1 years old, but an article in Parenting sounded like there was no need to worry about waiting. What do you all think?

11 comments:

Kara McElwrath said...

When I was pregnant with my son 4 years ago, I went to just about every workshop Memorial offered - and they were all great! My favorites were Briefcases and Babies (to prepare for going back to work), Infant Massage, and Baby Care User Manual. I also did the Lamaze class. Even though I ended up having an epidural and not using any of the Lamaze techniques, it put me more at ease to know that I was at least somewhat prepared. (I had nightmares about giving birth by myself in a car...) I plan to go to as many as I can again, including the one to help my son adjust to becoming a big brother.

I also took advantage of the lactation consultants both while I was in the hospital and afterwards from home. I called them on several occasions while Cam and I got the hang of nursing. And I'm so glad I did because we did eventually figure it out and I was able to nurse exclusively for a year. BTW, despite what I read in books, nursing did not come naturally for me. Maybe I'm just uncoordinated, but I definitely had to practice lots of positions until I found the ones that worked for us.

Kara McElwrath said...

Oops, I see I posted this in the wrong spot - I meant to put it under Workshops... I definitely think that pregnancy messes with my brain cells!

Kara McElwrath said...

While I'm far from an expert on this issue, I do believe in immunizations for kids. I strictly followed all the recommendations for Cam, and he had plenty of shots before he was 1.

I used to teach in public schools, including some in very poor areas. I think that because I saw so many kids suffer from illnesses that they could have been immunized from, I never really contemplated NOT having Cam immunized. It seemed like such a luxury that so many other kids couldn't take advantage of.

I know there's lots of discussion about autism and immunizations - and I am definitely interested in these discussions. But until I see some definitive proof, I feel that protecting my kids from these diseases is the choice for us.

Mae Marie Noll said...

Who is your pediatrician doctor? For my nieces, we got a pediatrician who we trust and who has children of her own, Cara Vasconcelles. Then whenever questions like this come up and various articles are released we just ask her (Cara) if she did this for her own children and follow her lead. Abby got all the immunizations as a newborn. Then when Katie Mae came there was a new one which she got and so Abby then got that new one at that time (age 2).

Kara McElwrath said...

Dr. Vasconcelles is our pediatrician, too! We love her! In fact, she's our family doctor as well. Her nurse practitioner (JoAnn O'Brien) is also great. Sometimes if there's a long wait to get an appt, we'll get in to see JoAnn that same day - she does all the 'normal' things, (like physicals) and can see us for quick appts to check for pink eye, strep throat, etc.

I'd highly recommend Dr. Vasconcelles to anyone looking for either a family doctor or a pediatrician.

I'm glad you brought her up. I had forgotten how I stressed over finding a good pediatrician when I was pregnant with Cam. I must have interviewed a couple dozen doctors before we found her. (And yes, I was - and still am - one of those neurotic new moms who actually set up appts to interview potential doctors. I should be embarrassed, but I'm not!)

Kandice said...

Kara and Mae,
Thank you for sharing your pediatrician's name. I am going to call Dr. Castaldo's office first because I have very close friends who have really enjoyed him. If he isn't taking patients, I will call Cara Vasconcelles' office.

In regards to immunizations, have you heard any of your family and friends talk about waiting? One of Ryan's friends told us to wait until 1 year old. I just think that a lot of the scares (immunizations correlating with autism)might be simply that - scares.

Kara McElwrath said...

I just read an article about immunizations (myths vs truths) this weekend in Parenting magazine. (You can read the articles on www.parenting.com even if you don't subscribe to the magazine).

My friends and family have followed the recommended guidelines for vaccines. But that may be steeped more in tradition than conscious decision-making. Most are and have been done having babies for a while now, and vaccinations weren't such a hot topic years ago.

I have made a note (notes are important thanks to my faulty memory) to ask our doctor about not combining vaccines. There's one (MMR or something like that) that typically vaccinates for 3 or 4 different diseases all in one shot. I've been reading that you can request these as separate doses, which might be more effective. I'm interested in hearing what Dr. Vasconcelles thinks about it.

Kelli Wilcockson said...

Just to comment about shots, if you are planning on going back to work before the baby is 1..(which I assume you are?) He will need all the reqired shots to get into daycare. I forget what they all are...Mya had all her shots at the recomended appts during the first year. The side effects (low fever, the crankies...) are mild compared to the symptoms of the diseases they protect them from. Plus, they are protected for life.

Karina said...

I personally don't see any harm in keeping your kids' vaccinations up to date. I know that they are adding more and more required shots, and, like Kelli said, if you are taking your baby to the daycare they check the immunization record, but there should be a good reason for that, right? I definitely think that potential risks of not having your child immunized outweigh potential side effects. Maria's 2-month appointment is next week and we are about to get 4 shots, so I will tell you more about what I think after that. We'll see if I change my opinion :)

Karina said...

By the way, ladies, have you noticed any pattern in our first names?!?

Kandice said...

Karina and all,

Ha - yes - there are lots of "K" moms posting on this site. :) Thanks for all the advice. I think the combination of the certain vaccinations, like Kara said(because I read the same article), is the biggest caution. I think it's always best to check with your doctor but also do your own research. Like Kelli said - daycare does make the decision for most parents.