Premmie sick after immunisations.

[clabsyqueen]

Anyone experience problems after getting their little one immunised at 8 weeks. My LO was born at 28 weeks and so got her jabs at 36 weeks. Within 8 hours she had developed a swollen tummy and a diagnosis of NEC (nasty stomach infection) and was zipped back to intensive care needing ventilation/morphine. The works! we were doing so well I'm devastated and am now wondering if there is any mechanism by which the jabs could have triggered this. Ideas/experience anyone?

Hi,
I'm absolutely no medical expert but I think it is highly unlikely. Talk to your consultant for peace of mind though! My 28weeker had hers at 36 weeks and 24 hours after had influenza and RSV vaccines and was ok, and there were no worries about it affecting her when my consultant talked through relative 'risks'. Immunisations can cause a reaction to what the vaccines are immunising against in some cases but this would not relate to NEC as that is infected/dying tissue in the gut and/or bowel. I would imagine it is a horrible coincidence and sadly prems are at much higher risk of developing NEC as they have immature digestive and immune systems. Given this, if there was even a suspected link between imms and NEC, I'd think it would not be common practice to vaccinate at 2 months actual, but delay until nearer term for prems. It will not take away from the fact that you must be going through hell right now, but it might be that if Charlotte has managed to get her first lot before falling ill, it should at least offer protection against other bugs that could be dangerous to a very small person, whilst her immune system is busy fighting something else. It is horrendous to see your LO so ill and on a cocktail of goodness knows what drugs, but for her, at least the morphine will reduce her awareness of the situation and she will not be in pain and the ventilator means she does not need to spend energy breathing. Intensive Care is not a jolly place by any means but it is the best place to ensure high-ratio care so that anything is noticed and acted on immediately rather than later in the day when the rest of the babies have been seen to on a lower dependancy unit.
x

For anyone interested: new government guidance has been issued that all babies born at 28 weeks or earlier should have jabs in hospital not by the HV. Seems that many premmies have problems with jabs. Our second lot went fine though.. Phew.