The
picture that most people have of newborn babies is the new mother and father
holding the child and fawning over it. Then the baby gets passed around the
family who all adore it together. However, right after a baby is born, there
are a certain number of things that obstetricians are supposed to do with
babies.
Most importantly is the Apgar test
which ascertains that the baby is healthy within the first minute. Doctors
measure heart rate, breathing, activity and muscle tone, reflexes, and skin
color. They repeat this after five minutes to double check that the baby is
still healthy or has scored higher in the scale. After five minutes, if the
child still is below a seven, they are kept for close medical attention.
There also are two shots: an
injection of Vitamin K and the Hepatitis B vaccine. The Vitamin K just ensures
that the baby’s blood can clot since newborns generally have low levels of this
vitamin. Hepatitis B (the focus of my last blog post) should be given before
leaving the hospital. There are other smaller procedures such as eye drops and
hearing tests that ob. perform while the baby is in the hospital.
As a patient, there are certain
rights that parents have. Parents are allowed to refuse vaccinations for their
child. Before an expectant mother goes into labor, lawyers suggest the parents
get a waiver of immunization if they intend to avoid vaccines. However, many
doctors refuse to treat patients that plan to circumvent immunizations. These
patients can put the doctor at risk of lawsuits for malpractice. Pediatrician
sometimes will refuse to treat an unvaccinated child.
Although it is possible to refuse
treatment for your child in certain states, this decision might not be the
wisest course of action. The vaccine given at birth will protect the child
throughout their lifetime from Hepatitis B. According to the Hepatitis B
Foundation,
“The hepatitis B vaccine is the first anti-cancer vaccine because it can prevent liver cancer. Worldwide, chronic hepatitis B causes 80% of all liver cancer, which is the 9th leading cause of death. Therefore, a vaccine that protects against a hepatitis B infection can also help prevent liver cancer.”
That sounds like a pretty good
reason to get your newborn vaccinated against Hepatitis B if you ask me.
Sources:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-beyond/labor-birth.html
http://blogs.lawyers.com/2013/05/newborn-vaccination-without-permission/
I enjoyed the way that you started this blog post. I also didn't actually realize that all of this takes place right after the baby is born. Most times I feel that everyone is caught up in the moment and that those stories never pass down to the children. I know that my mother never placed that piece of information into the "how I was born" story. It is amazing that one shot at birth can prevent a deadly cancer.
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