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Original poster

BCG for baby

15 replies

Thomcat · 22/10/2007 15:57

DD3 is 4 weeks old and apparently the sooner she has her BCG the better (according to HV).

DD1 has never had one and DD2 had hers at a day old.

They recommend babies have it before a year old.

So - do I book it for sooner rather than later or wait until sh's bigger?

I'm unsure, what did you do?

OP posts:
Anna8888 · 22/10/2007 15:59

It depends where you live.

When my sister had two babies when living in West London, Queen Charlotte's wouldn't let her leave hospital before the babies had had BCG.

McDreamy · 22/10/2007 16:01

Neither of my children have had the bcg, come to that neither did I until I started my nurse training. Is there a reason why they want your DD to have a bcg?

97PercentGingerbread · 22/10/2007 16:04

They don't give it here unless you have a specific reason for needing it.

lemonaid · 22/10/2007 16:05

Normally it depends where you live. DS was born south of the river (in London) and won't get a BCG until whenever it is they do them at school. If I'd given birth at a north-of-the-river hospital he's have been jabbed before leaving.

I'd not actually heard of anywhere that did anything between those two extremes before, though. I thought if the TB incidence in your area was high enough they did it at birth while if it wasn't they left it until school.

McDreamy · 22/10/2007 16:21

BCG's were phased out in the area I come from in the late 1980's. Both my brothers now in their 30's have not had it and as I said the only reason I had to have it was because I became a nurse.

orangina · 22/10/2007 16:36

dd and ds were both born at st marys paddington, neither were offered bcg, and my doctors surgery wouldn't give them either. but I gave dd hers at about 6 weeks old through the clinic that I saw hv through, and she was fine with it. have been more lax about ds, and fully intend to give it to him, wish i had done it earlier though (he's now nearly 9 months), they almost don't mind as tiny babies. i remember dd woke up briefly, screamed, then settled back to sleep, and that was it.

Original poster
Thomcat · 22/10/2007 19:07

I don't particularly want her to have it McDreamy, I was just told my HV to get it done before she was 1.

I don't get why it has changed so much in that dd1 who is 5 didn't get it and now won't and dd2 was given it as routine at queen charlottes when she was a day old.

I'm questioning whether i have to give it to dd3. if dd1 is never going to get it.

basically, since dd1 was born thet now give it at birth to a year old, if you were born befoe 200x then you now won't get it.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 22/10/2007 19:23

TC, what's DD3 called?

Neither DS has had the BCG, it's not given routinely here (though possibly is south of borough - not sure).

What's DD3's name?

Oh, did you find a name yet for DD3?

Has DD3 got a name yet?

You know your gorgeous little baby - what's her name?

fairyfay · 22/10/2007 19:31

We live in Borough of Richmond and I had my children at Kinsgston hosp where BCG is not routinely given (if I'd had them at West Middlesex which is same distance from here but in opp direction then they'd both have had it before leaving hosp).

I've been told by HV that DS (now 5 months) should have the BCG, because both my parents I have lived abroad, in at risk countries, in the past. She's also arranging for DD (now 2) to have it, for the same reason, as she wasn't given it either. I have, however, been waiting for the appointments for over 10 weeks now!

Gobbledispook · 22/10/2007 19:32

Mine all had it as newborns.

With ds1 it was automatic, ds2 I had a choice so I took it, ds3 wasn't allowed it but I kicked up a fuss and got it anyway.

We don't live in a high risk area but it's possible to travel into a high risk area quite easily - especially if you live near a big city.

demonaid · 22/10/2007 19:35

hunker has a point -- I think the accepted protocol is not to give the BCG until the baby has a name...

Psychobabble · 22/10/2007 19:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Thomcat · 22/10/2007 19:47

I hate this vaccine malarkey!

PS - Her name is...

DAVE

OP posts:
RubberDuck · 22/10/2007 19:50

I was living south of the river when ds1 was born, and he had the BCG at our request (finally got it around 5 months, I think, so he had to have the antibody test as well as the jab). But then at the time, TB was in the news a lot, and dh also worked a fair bit in India on and off and we may have had the opportunity to go with him (but in the end we never did).

Didn't bother with ds2, but then he was born in the West Midlands

gingeme · 22/10/2007 19:56

My last two ds's had theres a day after they were born because we live in North London and its considered a high risk area. Same will happen with ds5 in January

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