Read about the importance of immunization,
immunization schedule and meningitis and its symptoms.
Immunization is important to protect your baby from
those diseases that can be fatal for him. It is important to follow the
immunization schedule accurately. If you miss an immunization date then
consult your doctor immediately and he will give you a new date. If the
baby is very ill when immunization is due then you consult your doctor
and reschedule immunization. But if your baby has a slight cold or cough
then you can go ahead with immunization. If your baby has had an acute
reaction to a dose of immunization consult your doctor before you give
him the booster dose.
After an immunization shot the baby is likely to have slight fever,
give him the recommended dose of paracetamol and that should help him.
If the injection sight is swollen do not worry, as this is normal.
Consult your doctor about the reactions that various injections will
have on your baby. If your baby has any of the following conditions then
he is ill:
Consult your doctor if you are concerned about the
way the baby is behaving.
Given below is the ideal immunization schedule for babies:
Another illness that is a cause of great concern
among parents is meningitis. When this affects infants and small
children, it can be fatal if not treated promptly. Meningitis is the
inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and
spinal cord. Inflammation can be caused either by bacteria or viruses.
Meningitis caused by bacterial infection is more fatal than the one
caused by viral infection. Meningitis is contagious as it is airborne.
It spreads when an infected person sneezes, coughs, laughs or talks and
tiny droplets of fluid from his throat and nose become air borne.
Infants are more susceptible to meningitis as their immune system is
still developing. The number of cases of meningitis among infants has
dropped greatly every since the Hib vaccine was introduced. A Hib
vaccine safeguards the child against the attack of meningitis. But
vaccines have not been developed for all the strains of meningitis.
Hence parents continue to be worried about meningitis. Some symptoms of
meningitis are:
Though meningitis seems like a deadly disease, it can
be cured, if diagnosed at the right time and treated promptly.