Is rotavirus vaccine necessary? Did you and your baby do these important things after childbirth? Check it out!
"Go home and rest well, and don't forget to come back with your baby in 42 days for a review."
After giving birth to the baby, the doctor will send such a message to the mothers. Many mothers feel that my child has been born smoothly, and I feel that my postpartum recovery is also good, and it seems that there is no need to run another trip to check, but in fact, the true situation of the mother and baby can only be known after a detailed and professional examination.
42 days after childbirth is what we commonly call the "confinement period", in the postpartum 42 days of review, the obstetrician will do a comprehensive screening of the mother's postpartum wound, pelvic floor function, uterine state, breast condition and other aspects, so as to fully understand the mother's recovery status in the confinement period.
The pediatrician will give your baby a physical examination (skin, limbs, heart and lungs, abdomen, vulva), physical measurement (height, weight, head circumference), and feeding instructions (asking about feeding style and bowel and bowel movements) to get a comprehensive picture of your baby's growth, development, and health.
The baby's health is always the most important thing for mothers, and new mothers need to pay attention to the fact that at this stage, in addition to taking the baby to do routine examinations, they must also start to learn about vaccination. A baby's immune system is not yet perfect, facing the threat of various diseases, and preventive vaccination is one of the most effective and economical measures to deal with various infectious diseases.
From the first dose of BCG vaccine after the baby is born, the vaccination process is officially opened, and in the process of vaccinating the baby, everyone will care about the same problem, that is, immunization program vaccines (free vaccines prescribed by the government) and non-immunization program vaccines (voluntary self-funded vaccines), which is the difference between the first type of vaccine and the second type of vaccine that we often say.
Are non-immunization programme vaccines (class II vaccines) less important than immunization programme vaccines (class I vaccines)?
Both immunization and non-immunization vaccines are important for babies and can be effective in preventing infectious diseases [1]. Vaccines in immunization and non-immunization programmes are divided not by importance, but by national financial situation and disease prevention programmes.
Some of these non-immunization vaccines still need to be paid attention to by new mothers, such as rotavirus vaccines, pentaconavian vaccines, 13-valent pneumonia vaccines and so on. Mention rotavirus, you may not be familiar with it, but the mention of "autumn and winter diarrhea", Presumably everyone has heard of it, rotavirus is one of the main pathogens that cause autumn and winter diarrhea [2]. At present, it is the high incidence of rotavirus infection, and new mothers should be vigilant in advance!
Rotavirus harm: more than diarrhea
In our community, many mothers have shared their baby's experience of rotavirus infection, and looking back on this experience, many mothers still have palpitations - they are distressed that their babies are "guilty" and lament the many impacts of this little virus.
After rotavirus infection, the clinical manifestations of the baby are different, may be asymptomatic, and may also be vomiting, diarrhea, and fever [3]:
Vomiting: occurs in about 80% to 90% of children and generally lasts no more than one day
Diarrhea: Watery diarrhea (bloodless) averages 10-20 times a day for 3 to 8 days
Fever: More than half of children develop fever, usually low-grade fever, and more than 1/3 of children can reach more than 39 °C
In severe cases, your baby may also have convulsions, viral meningitis, epilepsy, and other conditions [2]. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 220,000 children under the age of five died globally in 2013 from rotavirus infection [4].
Rotavirus infection can also cause serious complications such as spleen injury, myocardial injury, pneumonia and bronchitis, systemic inflammatory response, and autoimmune diseases [2][5].
Even more alarming is that 6 months to 2 years of age is the age group with the highest and most severe incidence of rotavirus infection [2].
Prevention and treatment of rotavirus: no special drugs
Rotavirus itself is also very cunning, rotavirus transmission and infection can be said to be invincible - almost every baby has been infected with rotavirus at the age of 3-5 years [6], and it does not only occur in autumn and winter, studies have pointed out that in China, rotavirus can occur throughout the year, peaking in some months [7,a].
Some mothers may say: As long as I wash my hands and disinfect frequently, the virus should have no opportunity, right? Don't take it lightly, rotavirus is very cunning! It can survive for hours on your baby's hands, and even for days on environmental surfaces such as your baby's toys,[8] and ordinary alcohol, wipes, soap, and disinfectant may not completely kill or take away rotavirus on your hands.
As there are currently no specific drugs for the treatment of rotavirus infection, dehydration can only be corrected or prevented by symptomatic treatment such as oral rehydration or infusion [10]. Therefore, mothers should not wait until the baby is infected to regret not being vigilant earlier, but should do the homework of prevention in front.
Prevention comes first: vaccination is the cure
The Expert Consensus on Immunological Prevention of Pediatric Rotavirus Gastroenteritis (2020 Edition) in Mainland China points out that rotavirus vaccination is the most effective means to prevent and control rotavirus gastroenteritis in children [11].
The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends that the baby should be vaccinated against rotavirus as early as possible starting at 6 weeks of age to protect the baby before infection [6].
At present, in China, rotavirus vaccine has monovalent vaccine and pentavalent vaccine can be selected, the difference between them is as follows, novice mothers can learn to understand!
Finally, it is recommended that new mothers pay attention to the protective knowledge of rotavirus infection as soon as possible, and when taking their baby to a class of vaccines, promptly ask the vaccination professional doctor for information about other non-immunization program vaccines, and do not miss the vaccination period.
This article is supported by Merck
If you would like more information about your disease, please consult a healthcare professional.
01-2024-CN-ROT-00876
bibliography:
Wang Wenchang, et al. Analysis of vaccination status and influencing factors of non-immunization programmes in China. Chinese Vaccines and Immunization. 2020, 26(1):93-97.
Fang Hesong. Pediatric Diarrhoeal Diseases. People's Medical Publishing House. 2009.
[3] Dennehy PH. Rotavirus Infection: A Disease of the Past? Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015;29(4): 617-35.
[4] Tate JE, et al. Global, Regional, and National Estimates of Rotavirus Mortality in Children
[5] Rivero-Calle I, et al. Systemic features of rotavirus infection. J Infect. 2016 Jul 5;72 Suppl:S98-S105.
[6] WHO. Rotavirus vaccines: WHO position paper – July 2021. 16 JULY 2021, 96th YEAR. No 28, 2021, 96, 301–320
[7] Patel MM, et al. Global seasonality of rotavirus disease. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2013;32(4):e134-e147.
Study design: One study reviewed all epidemiological studies published between January 2005 and December 2010 assessing the prevalence of rotavirus in children with diarrhea, with the aim of assessing the global seasonal prevalence pattern of rotavirus. The results showed that there were significant differences in the seasonal prevalence of rotavirus disease globally, and it was difficult to uniformly explain the seasonal changes of rotavirus disease. National income levels predict seasonal changes in rotavirus epidemics more than other factors.
Liu Chonghai, et al. Research status of rotavirus infection. Clinical Journal of Practical Hospitals. 2005,2(3):18-20.
[9] Dennehy PH. Rotavirus infection: an update on management and prevention. Adv Pediatr. 2012, 59(1):47-74.
Hu Yamei, et al. Practical Pediatrics. People's Medical Publishing House. 2015.
Chinese Preventive Medicine Association. Expert Consensus on Immunoprophylaxis in Children Rotavirus Gastroenteritis (2020 Edition).Chinese Vaccines and Immunization.2021; 27(1):48-61
[12] Oral rotavirus live vaccine instructions
[13] Oral pentavalent recombinant rotavirus live attenuated vaccine (Vero cells) instructions