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Ask Dr Charlotte: What vaccinations and tests do I need to consent to after my baby is born?
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Each month Healthshare asks our followers to ask questions around a health topic. Our in-house GP, Dr Charlotte Middleton picks a handful of them and provides answers in a video. February topic was PREGNANCY AND BIRTH. -
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Dr Charlotte Middleton
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Special interests: integrative health (nutrition/vitamins/supplements), certified GAPS nutritional practitioner, womens and childrens health, endocrine disorders, weight loss, autoimmune disease View Profile
In this video Dr Charlotte talks about what, as a parent, you are asked to give consent for right after the birth of your baby and why, in particular the Vitamin K injection, Hepatitis B vaccination and the newborn Bloodspot Screening Test.
The Vitamin K is involved in making the clotting factors throughout the body. Babies are born with not enough vitamin K on board and are not producing enough of them. This deficit can increase the risk of bleeding - it can be something simple, like bruising or bleeding from the umbilicus, however the most severe form of it can be bleed into the brain, which can have dire consequences. The injection or the oral dosing can prevent it from happening.
The reason why doctors administer the Hepatitis B injection to babies so early is that often mothers or other household contacts in the family may not be aware that they are the carriers and may transmit the disease to the newborn. 9 out of 10 children affected by the Hepatitis B will remain carriers for a very long time. One in four of those can go on to develop very severe things, such as liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure or even death. However, it’s a vaccine preventative disease and it’s important to protect the baby from an early age to protect them in later stages of their life.
The newborn Bloodspot Screening Test screens for a number of disorders in babies, such as phenylketonuria, primary congenital hypothyroidism, cystic fibrosis, galactosemia and some rare metabolic disorders. When picked up early, doctors can instigate immediate treatment and prevention of any further complications.
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