Leaf Medical, a primary care center in Dumbo is a contributor for health relatic topics. Dr. Stephanie Shaps, a pediatrician at Leaf Medical writes a post about a vaccine most children should get during winter that most parents don’t know about.
“As a new pediatrician in the neighborhood I thought I would introduce myself by reaching out to parents on this site by writing a few words, a short blog one might say. I am a practicing pediatrician and mom of two young kids myself (ages 5 and 2yrs), so I am right in the parenting trenches with you! I am so excited to now be practicing in the great neighborhood of DUMBO and look forward to hopefully meeting you at our office, Leaf Medical, soon!
As I have been meeting with many expectant parents, I thought I could provide a little information on an important intervention you can do now to help protect your new baby – making sure you receive your Tdap vaccine!”
Click more for the full post about Tdap.
What exactly is the Tdap vaccine?
Well, Tdap stands for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) and it is one of the vaccines we receive as young children. For many of us however, it’s hard to keep track of our kids’ vaccination schedules let alone our own and so it has probably been some time since we have been vaccinated. For newborn babies, we are most concerned in protecting them from the pertussis (whooping cough) component of that vaccine.
What is pertussis and why is it dangerous to my baby?
Pertussis is a very contagious respiratory illness that may start out like the common cold but progresses to weeks and months of severe cough. Coughing fits can be accompanied by a high pitched inspiratory “whoop” sound, hence the name whooping cough, and can lead to vomiting, exhaustion, rib fractures, and complications such as pneumonia and breathing difficulty. In infants and young children, pertussis can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening complications, especially in those under 6 months of age. According to the CDC, about half of infants younger than 1 year old who get pertussis are hospitalized, and tragically 1 or 2 in 100 hospitalized infants will die.
So what can we do?
In 2012, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that pregnant women should receive a dose of Tdap during EACH pregnancy, regardless of when they received any prior doses. Optimal timing for the vaccine is between 27 and 36 weeks gestation as this is when the transfer of protective antibodies that your body makes in response to the vaccine is maximized. Essentially, mom is passing along short-term protection against pertussis to her baby in the early months when it is needed most. It is also important to have everyone who will be in close contact with the infant (dads, caregivers, siblings, grandparents, etc) vaccinated against Tdap (if not up to date) at least 2 weeks before coming in contact with the infant. This is called “cocooning” the infant, sort of like a protection bubble from pertussis!
Really?, I can get a vaccine while pregnant, is that safe?
Yes. The ACIP found no elevated frequency of adverse events among pregnant women who received Tdap vaccine or in their newborns. If you have not received the Tdap vaccine during pregnancy it is important to get it as soon as possible after birth. Some hospitals will offer it to parents before discharge. If this is not the case we can administer it to you here in the office at your first newborn visit.
* Also, this time of year, don’t forget to get your flu shot! Protecting your newborn from influenza is just as important.
Information for this post was taken from the CDC. If you are looking for more information on how to protect babies from pertussis please visit the following link:
cdc.gov/features/pertussis
Leaf Medical (leafcares.org)
18 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tel: 855-529-5323
Fax: 855-765-5323
email: info@leafmedical.org
