At his four-month well-baby visit yesterday, Daniel weighed in at 15 pounds, 5 ounces, which is in the 75th percentile, and measured at 27 and a quarter inches tall, which is in the 95th percentile. Two months ago, he was in the 95th percentile for both height and weight, which means he has slimmed down a little while continuing to grow like a weed.
He left with the immunizations for diptheria, typhoid and acellular pertussis (whooping cough) — which are all in one DTaP vaccine — as well as polio and haemophilus Influenzae Type B (hib). We declined the vaccines for hepatitis B and pneumococcal 7 (Prevnar) for now (and the rotovirus one sort of fell by the wayside). I have begun to hear about some of the concerns some parents and medical experts are raising about vaccines, and it has left me rather confused about what's best for Daniel — just the latest in parenting decisions I need to worry about. I've been trying to read up on it (it's such a heated issue that it's hard to find clear, unbiased information), and last night Steve also started reading one of the books I bought to educate myself on the matter. Society is at a point now where the risk for adverse effects from the vaccine is higher than the risk of actually catching the disease, according to something I just read on the Centers for Disease Control Web site. I don't want to completely non-vaccinate him, like some people are choosing for their kids. I just hope Steve and I will figure out a schedule we can feel comfortable with, maybe delaying some and passing on others.
Anyway, Daniel seems to be doing OK with short-term reactions so far. He was cranky yesterday afternoon, but he had a nice bath and splashed his little legs around, and he even went to bed around 9! (Instead of midnight!) Of course, he was back up at midnight for a feeding, and I'm wondering if he's at the point where he could take a little solid food to help him sleep through the night. Rice cereal, here we come!
about me
I'm Emilie, a writer and mother to two young boys, married to my best friend and living in St. Paul, Minnesota. I was diagnosed with a soft-tissue sarcoma in August 2007, while pregnant with our youngest son. Cancer sucks. But we are trying to live life to the fullest in spite of it.
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5 comments:
I've been hearing more and more about the possible links between vaccines and autism, and I must say it really freaks me out! I hope you can come up with a plan you feel good about.
Glad to hear that Daniel's healthy! :)
You know Emilie, I am along with you in the fear of vaccines. I get so scared. I know a lot of people that have skipped them alltogetehr. It is a very tough decision to make and one not to be taken lightly. He really is a tall boy!! He's 1.5" taller than Graycen and I think she is tall (she's in the 75th percentile though) Does Daniel just not like to go to bed until late? Graycen won't go to sleep until around 10 - 10:30. Does he sleep through the night then - at all? We have considered starting cereal too - but I'm not sure. I have been reading that there is a link to obese children and starting solids too soon. I don't know...too many things to worry/think about with these little ones nowdays!
Emilie.
Did I read that right? Daniel is already 27 inches long???
Dion was 29 inches long on his 12 month check up.
Wow, can we say NBA?
Oh, honey, let me just share my little rotovirus story with you.
Until I read your post, I didn't know there was such a thing as a rotovirus vaccine. After experiencing what I did in February, I would have easily said, "shoot him up, doc."
But of course, that is what I would have said afterwards.
I was mid February. Dion had horrible, and I mean horrible diahrea and vomiting. Stuff was just coming out of both ends of my little 1-year-old.
I called the doctor, they said just give him Gatorade and flat soda. No milk or apple juice. Feed him if he feels like eating, but don't force him. This was told to me over the phone. I was told not to bring him in.
Bump that.
So I drove to the doctor's offic anyway. Somebody was going to help me with my child.
He was so weak.
But they sent me away.
So I went to an urgent care office.
And I'll be dogged if they didn't tell me the same thing about Gatorade and flat soda.
They said it was a virus that had to work its way out of his system.
The thing was, the day I went to the urgent care office, there were at least six other children in there with the same thing.
So I returned home. Dion slept so much and I didn't know what to do.
His bowel movements were pure liquid. It was awful.
When he threw up for the SIXTH massive time, I loaded him in the car again and drove to a hospital emergency room. I told them what was happening and they said it was rotovirus. (Of course I already knew that since I had seen two other doctors that day.) I kept asking for something - anything that they could give me to help hem and all three doctors refused to give me any medicine or anything that would stop it. They all said it had to work its way out of his body.
The cause of rotovirus is just as discussing as its after effects. Feces as small as a pin point enters the child's mouth some how and just tears up his insides. Now as children get older, their immune systems will learn how to ward this off. According to the doctors, the fecal matter could have come from the handle of a shopping cart, an adult with unclean hands, he could have touched his own diaper, he could have touched another child at daycare and picked it up - They listed so many ways he could have gotten it.
But that didn't matter to me. My child had it and I was scared.
I did a story in 2002 about a 1-year-old who died from dehydration and there was a part of me that feared that could happen to Dion. It's amazing that something that was, according to the doctors, the size of a DNA speck could cause two days worth of grief. I was so scared. And my little man dropped so much weight during that time.
I had never heard of rotovirus until Dion got it. Then I saw one of the local news station doing a story on a higher number of reported cases in the area that I lived in. (DUH!!!!)
I'm not writing this to tell you to get the vaccine or to tell you not to get it. Seeing that word just made me thing of what we went through last year.
Apparently, it's a winter disease.
I should have reread that post. it's filled with typos.
Sorry.
Yikes, Cynthia! That sounds awful. Actually, Daniel did get round one of the Rotovirus vaccine at his 2-month, and I think we just forgot about it this time, since we were so busy talking about the others. (It's just an oral vaccine.) I did hear that it was recalled back in 99 or something after some kids died, but it must be back on the market, hopefully safer.
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