So worried about my baby, can any mums helps

[Mangochutneey]

I have joined mumsnet specifically to ask about this as I am now feeling desperate. My baby had his one year vaccines this time last week, four injections in total including the MMR. The following day he had a high temperature of over 40, called 111 when nothing brought it down and they said to take to a and e. We did this and they said he was fine and temperature was high but probably the vaccine. Sent home. He has been an entirely different baby since that day. Temperature over 40 continued on and off for first 4 days, that has now stopped.

But my baby is looking vacant, not engaging, staring into space, not playing. We went to the supermarket yesterday and two separate people commented that ‘if looks could kill,’… he looks angry. This is not like him. The biggest worry I have is sleep… he slept 14.5 hours last night and is now having a nap again already after waking up at 9:30am? He did the same yesterday and also had a 2.5 hour nap in the afternoon as well. That’s almost 18 hours of sleep a day?

I am very pro vaccines and we are paying for the chicken pox one soon but this has really scared me. Why is he sleeping so much so long after? Why has his temperament changed?

Just because this coincided with his MMR jab, it doesn't mean it was the vaccine that's made him unwell. He could have just picked up a nasty virus. You need to take him to the doctor as soon as possible.

I can see why you are worried, but it is probably just coincidence.

Make a list of what you want to say to the GP and what you expect from the appointment.

Babies are resilient. It's probably just a winter bug or something.
Try not to worry.

If your baby is breastfed, keep breastfeeding more regularly. If you have a sling etc, put them in it and put them next to you so that your heartbeat can support theirs.

Your baby is more sleepy and fighting something you consented to be injected into them. Have you checked the ingredients? Are you/they allergic to anything?

Your baby is at risk of SIDs and you need to take it in turns with baby dad to monitor them if you cannot get them to the GP until later.

Keep an eye on their breathing changes. Personally I would be sitting in a n e and wouldn't move until rechecked. Your baby has had a dramatic change in personality/behaviour after a medical procedure, you are not over reacting.

My daughter has Autism, not caused by the vaccine but possibly made worse from the vaccine, I shall never really know. I don’t want to scare anyone as my dd was already going through diagnosis before her 2nd MMR (which she reacted badly too), I didn’t want her to have the MMR as she had a small reaction to the first and at the time there was a lot in the media about a link to ASD, my GP and health visited called me every week asking me to get her vaccinated so I did. We ended up in A&E with her eyes rolling/possible seizure , I got mixed info whilst in hospital with her, one doctor saying she had a virus and another saying it could be a reaction to the vaccine. She was unwell for a week after the vaccine, some regression (less eye contact etc…) but because she was already being accessed for autism I couldn’t say that it was anything to do with the vaccine. Do talk to your GP and keep going back if your ds is still not himself, hopefully he’s just been a little unwell, as others have said ‘you can be unwell after vaccines and have flu like symptoms’.

People can ask for reassurance or opinions, this is a chat site after all

Vaccines don't cause or worsen autism, but the MMR is given at the time that autism symptoms are usually spotted. Sorry to hear about your daughter, but you did the right thing getting her vaccinated .Measles kills.

My child was seriously ill after the flu vaccine when she was 4. She ended up in hospital a week later with high temperature, pale all over, not eating etc. It sparked off urine infections for years. It was about six to nine months before she was herself.

We earlier refused the MMR as a friend's child literally changed overnight. Well, that was one of many reasons.

No vaccines at all have been given since she was 4, and she has a 100 per cent school attendance rate. She's now 12.

He has woken up now and seems ok but it’s like he can’t smile and it pains him?! At least he is better than yesterday. Being a parent is hard!!

There is definitely something wrong with his mouth he is pursing his lips when trying to smile

I too was told our child's flu vaccine reaction was 'just a virus.' Thankfully I shot daggers at one doctor - I looked at him and he looked at me, and we just knew. He then said vaccines are optional and he doesn't allow his children to get any.

If your baby had a 40 degree temp for four days then he is going to take a while to recover from that. Take him to the GP to checkout re eye rolling and pain when smiling. However the fatigue is normal enough after being sick for those few days. You should see him continuing to improve as he regains his energy.

@SoWhat21 thanks, I’ve never experienced him being unwell before and I have heard babies sleep all day when poorly. I guess because his temperature has gone I thought he should be bouncing around again!

One of the (very rare) side effects of vaccines is a type of swelling of the brain (as listed on the government vaccination information website). This type of swelling can of course also be caused by infections and viruses themselves. Either way op, if you have noticed changes in your baby, you must definitely persue this with your GP, and do not allow yourself to be fobbed off. Hopefully your baby is just slowly recovering from the vaccinations, or a virus (or both), and things will improve soon. But it's good to trust your instincts and advocate for your baby. It is always better to be on the safe side. Vaccinations are wonderful, and I am forever grateful that we have them, but they are not without a (very tiny) risk.

I really feel for you, it's awful when you can't put your finger on what's going on. Like others have said be really firm at the docs later that he isn't himself. Anecdotally, my daughter who is now 8 really struggled after these jabs and the doctor said that they're released gradually one after the other so he could be having a new reaction to the next vaccine that's been released.

Also, vaccines do not cause autism- the doctor that stated there is a link has been struck off the register now. However, vaccine injury does exist (very, very rare and the risks are far outweighed by the benefits of having the vaccine) which can rarely present as autism due to the effect on the brain. I would ask the question about how a vaccine injury presents, especially as he is displaying neurological symptoms such as eye rolling, lip/mouth movement restriction.

*rarely present as autistic traits

The measles vaccine doesn't start to work for the first 6-10 days so he'd be right in that time frame for side effects from that one.
It's a lot for their little bodies to handle.

My daughter is 2 now but her one year vaccinations were absolutely horrendous. She wasn’t right for almost 4 weeks after, it was terrifying. She had huge bags under her eyes, on and off high temps, mouth ulcers and sleeping 12 hours (she never slept!) I remember sitting in the car crying cos she was sent home from nursery for ‘not being herself’ and I couldn’t physically afford to be off again. I took her to the doctors 3 times during this period but it was just a case of waiting it out.

I’m sorry your little one didn’t react well to them but just wanted to reassure you, you aren’t alone.

It could be he's coincidentally picked up a virus too so is experiencing the effects of both (I'm not a medical professional).

@Thefaceofboe thank you and I’m sorry you had a similar experience. The mouth thing is scaring me a bit, I have checked for ulcers and can’t see any but it’s the sort of way my mouth would smile if I had them, if that makes sense?

your baby sounds unwell. I would go to A&E

Just given lunch and eaten it all no issues and no temp. Can’t seem to move mouth comfortably is all.

I remember my babies seeming different after vaccines and going back to the doctors. All was okay - it took a few days. One of mine always seemed so sad when they were ill - she just couldn't raise a smile. I am not minimising your worries - you should definitely get it checked out.

If he’s eaten lunch no problem then his mouth must be ok? The mmr vaccine doesn’t start side effects - measles is 6-10 days post vaccine mumps 2/3 weeks and rubella up to 6 weeks after. It is that time of year where lots of kids catch viruses and it could be he’s been unlucky and caught something alongside having his vaccines.

it’s good all his Obs are stable and the high temp has settled perhaps he’s teething or brewing something else? Hope he’s on the mend soon op

Look up MMR jab, it's 3 viruses and you get peaks in feeling unwell at days 7/10 and 15 or something. My son suffered badly with them. The. After day 15, all good.