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Illness and accidents WHY DO WE NEED IMMUNISATION? Our bodies have a natural defence system against disease. This is called the immune system. The immune system produces substances called antibodies which usually fight off infection and prevent disease. However, there are some diseases that can kill children or cause lasting damage to their health. Immunisations are given to strengthen your child’s immune system to fight off those diseases if they come into contact with them. Remember, it’s never too late to have your child immunised. Even if your child has missed an immunisation and is older than the recommended ages, talk to your doctor, practice nurse or health visitor to arrange for your child to be immunised. 102 teenage years. Your doctor’s surgery or clinic will usually send you an appointment for you to bring your baby for immunisation. Most surgeries and health centres run special immunisation or baby clinics. If you can’t get to the clinic, contact the surgery to make another appointment. All childhood immunisations are free. It is important that your baby has their immunisations at the right age. This will help keep the risk of your baby catching these diseases as low as possible. Also, the ages when vaccines are given have been chosen to keep any risk of reactions as low as possible. AT THE APPOINTMENT The doctor or nurse will explain the immunisation process to you, and answer any questions you have. The vaccine will be given by injection into your baby’s thigh or upper arm. COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT IMMUNISATION How do vaccines work? Vaccines contain a small part of the bacterium or virus that causes a disease, or tiny amounts of the chemicals that the bacterium produces. Vaccines work by causing the body’s immune system to make antibodies (substances that fight off infection and disease). If your child comes into contact with the infection, the antibodies will recognise it and be ready to protect him or her. Because vaccines have been used so successfully in the UK, diseases such as polio and diphtheria have almost disappeared from this country. If these diseases have effectively disappeared in this country, why do we need to immunise against them? In the UK, these diseases are kept at bay by high immunisation rates. Around the world, more than 15 million people a year die from infectious diseases. More than half of these are children under the age of five. Most of these deaths could be prevented by immunisation. As more people travel abroad, there is a risk that they will bring these diseases back into the UK. The diseases may spread to people who haven’t been immunised and so your baby is at greater risk if he or she has not been immunised. Immunisation doesn’t just protect your child, it also helps to protect your family and the whole community, especially those children who, for medical reasons, can’t be immunised. How do we know that vaccines are safe? Before being licensed, all medicines (including vaccines) are thoroughly tested to assess their safety and effectiveness. After they have been licensed, the safety of vaccines continues to be monitored. Any rare side effects that are discovered can then be assessed further. All medicines can cause side effects, but vaccines are among the very safest. Research from around the world shows that immunisation is the safest way to protect your child’s health. I am worried that my baby will be upset by having an injection. Your baby may cry and be upset for a few minutes, but they will usually settle down after a cuddle. Will my baby have any side effects from the injection? Some babies will have side effects such as: ● redness or swelling where they had the injection (this will slowly disappear on its own); or ● feeling a bit irritable and unwell, and some may have a temperature (fever). I’m worried that my baby may have allergies. Can he have the vaccine? Yes. Asthma, eczema, hay fever and allergies do not prevent your child having any vaccine in the routine childhood immunisation programme. If you have any questions, speak to your doctor,
Illness and accidents practice nurse or health visitor. Are some babies allergic to vaccines? Very rarely, children can have an allergic reaction soon after immunisation. This reaction may be a rash or itching affecting part or all of the body, which the doctor or nurse giving the vaccine will know how to treat. This is not a reason to withhold further immunisations. Even more rarely, children may have a severe reaction, within a few minutes of the immunisation, which causes breathing difficulties and can cause the child to collapse. This is called an anaphylactic reaction. A recent study has shown that only one anaphylactic reaction is reported in about a million immunisations. The people who give immunisations are trained to deal with anaphylactic reactions and, as long as they are treated quickly, children recover completely. An anaphylactic reaction is a severe and immediate allergic reaction that needs urgent medical attention. Are there any reasons why my baby should not be immunised? There are very few reasons why babies should not be immunised. You should let your health visitor, GP or practice nurse know if your baby: ● has a very high temperature or fever; ● has had a bad reaction to any immunisation; ● has a severe allergy to anything; ● has a bleeding disorder; ● has had convulsions or fits; ● has had treatment for cancer; ● has any illness that affects the immune system (eg leukaemia, HIV or AIDS); ● is taking any medicine that affects the immune system (eg high dose steroids or treatments given after organ transplant or for cancers); ● has any other serious illness. These don’t always mean that your baby can’t be immunised, but it helps the doctor or nurse decide which are the best immunisations for your baby and if they need to give you any other advice. A family history of illness is never a reason for a baby not to be immunised. C HILDHOOD IMMUNISATIONS Up to the age of about 15 months, your child will need to have DTaP/IPV/Hib, PCV, MenC, a combined Hib/MenC booster, and MMR vaccines. These are described below, together with the diseases they protect against. DTAP/IPV/HIB VACCINE Your baby should be immunised with the DTaP/IPV/Hib vaccine when they are two, three and four months old. This vaccine protects your child against five different diseases – diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib). What is diphtheria? Diphtheria is a serious disease that usually begins with a sore throat and can quickly cause breathing problems. It can damage the heart and nervous system and, in severe cases, it can kill. What is tetanus? Tetanus is a disease affecting the nervous system which can lead to muscle spasms, cause breathing problems and can kill. It is caused when germs that are found in soil and manure get into the body through WHAT IS FEVER? A fever is a temperature over 37.5ºC. Fevers are quite common in young children but are usually mild. If your child’s face feels hot to the touch and they look red or flushed, he or she may have a fever. You could check their temperature with a thermometer. How to treat a fever Keep your child cool by: ● making sure they don’t have too many layers of clothes or blankets on; and ● giving them plenty of cool drinks. A dose of infant paracetamol or ibuprofen liquid may help reduce your child’s fever. Read the instructions on the bottle very carefully. You may need to give a second dose four to six hours later. Remember: never give medicines that contain aspirin to children under 16 years old. If you are worried about your child, trust your instincts and speak to your doctor. Call the doctor immediately if your child: ● has a temperature of 39ºC or above; or ● has a fit. If the surgery is closed contact your GP out-of-hours service. If you are concerned or if they can’t come quickly enough take your child straight to the Accident and emergency department of your nearest hospital. 103
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Birth five to This book gives you a
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Birth five to Your complete guide t
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1 The first weeks There’s somethi
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The first weeks SCREENING AT A GLAN
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The first weeks B REASTFEEDING Brea
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The first weeks 2 Be patient… Sta
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The first weeks Allow your baby to
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The first weeks USING BREAST PUMPS
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The first weeks STERILISING All the
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The first weeks Follow the manufact
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The first weeks S LEEPING Some babi
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The first weeks room is too hot.
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The first weeks If you’re finding
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The first weeks NAPPY RASH Most bab
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The first weeks WASHING AND BATHING
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The first weeks T WINS ( OR MORE) P
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YEARS MONTHS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 2
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How your child will grow • Walk o
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How your child will grow BRUSHING Y
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How your child will grow HEIGHT AND
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How your child will grow You should
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3 Learning and playing What we call
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Learning and playing I DEAS FOR PLA
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Learning and playing H OW TO MAKE S
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Learning and playing TRANSITION FRO
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Learning and playing MAKING CHILDCA
Page 53 and 54: 4 Habits and behaviour There are so
Page 55 and 56: Habits and behaviour PROBLEMS WITH
Page 57 and 58: Habits and behaviour • By twelve
Page 59 and 60: Habits and behaviour A NEW BABY IN
Page 61 and 62: Habits and behaviour • Sometimes
Page 63 and 64: Habits and behaviour time he or she
Page 65 and 66: Habits and behaviour out to buy one
Page 67 and 68: 5 Feeding your child Food is one of
Page 69 and 70: Feeding your child - push the bowl
Page 71 and 72: Feeding your child ALLERGIES Babies
Page 73 and 74: sensible for adults, but not for ba
Page 75 and 76: Feeding your child • Squashes, fi
Page 77 and 78: Feeding your child FAMILY F OOD For
Page 79 and 80: Feeding your child ‘When you go s
Page 81 and 82: Feeding your child Types of vegetar
Page 83 and 84: Feeding your child • Fruit and ve
Page 85 and 86: Feeding your child F OOD SAFETY You
Page 87 and 88: Feeding your child • If your chil
Page 89 and 90: 6 Illness and accidents Every child
Page 91 and 92: Illness and accidents ● ● out-o
Page 93 and 94: Illness and accidents smoking or en
Page 95 and 96: Illness and accidents D IARRHOEA YO
Page 97 and 98: Illness and accidents ● ● ●
Page 99 and 100: Illness and accidents Alternative t
Page 101 and 102: Illness and accidents After these m
Page 103: Illness and accidents ILLNESS INFEC
Page 107 and 108: Illness and accidents swelling wher
Page 109 and 110: ecome a carrier and develop serious
Page 111 and 112: Illness and accidents ❑ ❑ ❑
Page 113 and 114: Illness and accidents ● ● ●
Page 115 and 116: Illness and accidents IF YOUR CHILD
Page 117 and 118: Illness and accidents at the knee a
Page 119 and 120: Illness and accidents THINGS STUCK
Page 121 and 122: Illness and accidents W HEN A CHILD
Page 123 and 124: Your own life P HYSICAL PROBLEMS A
Page 125 and 126: Your own life visitor about other l
Page 127 and 128: Your own life Stress also comes fro
Page 129 and 130: Your own life • Share the housewo
Page 131 and 132: Your own life • Suggest a regular
Page 133 and 134: 8 Your services There is a wide ran
Page 135 and 136: Your services H OW TO CHANGE YOUR G
Page 137 and 138: make. The money cannot be taken out
Page 139 and 140: Your rights and benefits of childca
Page 141 and 142: Your rights and benefits child’s
Page 143 and 144: Your rights and benefits Anything e
Page 145 and 146: Your rights and benefits Who gets t
Page 147 and 148: Your rights and benefits HOUSING BE
Page 149 and 150: USEFUL ORGANISATIONS Some of these
Page 151 and 152: Council for Disabled Children 8 Wak
Page 153 and 154: INDEX A accidents 108-18 additives
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