[Guenevere]

To all of you here, could you help me please?

I posted a picture of our darling granddaughter shortly after her birth.

Her name is Emily and she weighed 2lb.9oz...she was 8-1/2 weeks early.

She left the hospital at 4lb.7oz. and is now almost 7 pounds!

She's doing great, feeding well, sleeping well.

Here's my big question.

All you moms who had preemies.....did your doctor/pediatrician allow you to defer immunizations for your precious child?

Did they take in account the immature system and not load it down with immunizations too soon?

That is my question.

While I'm not against DPT, MMR, etc. and Emily is getting a monthly shot to protect her from colds and viruses...

...they now want to also give her a Hep.B shot.

Why is a baby getting a Hepatitus B shot?

My understanding is Hep B is transmitted by blood, sex, perhaps transfusions...(neither which Emily has had)...

Emily is healthy.....she's at home, not in daycare....and her parents are very careful with handwashing, etc.

Her pediatrician said his insurance company considers it a liability if they don't sign off on this....

...that even if my daugther and her husband wanted to defer or not do this, they would have to find another doctor.

I don't understand this.

WOuld someone please explain why a tiny baby needs a Hep.B shot??????

[Texas Termite]

Hi Emily's gramma :)

I'm Texas Termite's Nana... and I'll try and answer your question with what we did with Logan.

Logan's mom and dad elected to allow the doctors to give him any all immunizations that they considered necessary. Many don't agree, but their thinking was that this baby needed all of the protection that was offered. For him, it seems to have been a wise choice. He's doing fantastic!

As to the Hep B.... when Logan's Mommy was a tiny baby (and she only weighed a little over 3 lbs. at birth), one of the nurses in the neo unit was found to have hep. They gave this skinny little bitty baby a HUGE shot of gamma globulin. I almost fainted when I saw the needle.....now remember, that was 40 years ago! But Beth was fine and we were spared any illness with her.

In closing... with these little ones, you have to be extra cautious. If you have faith in her doctor, that will help with the decision. If you don't, then perhaps a different doctor is needed anyway.

Give your little one a hug and kiss from our little miracle baby. And God bless you and your family on your decision that has to be made.

Nana