To protect a child from such dangerous diseases as whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria, routine vaccination is carried out. But DTP vaccination is often poorly tolerated: during the administration of the drug, an allergic reaction may develop.
To reduce the risk of its manifestation to a minimum, the doctor prescribes Suprastin before DTP vaccination. Parents need to know how to give this drug to their baby and for how long.
How exactly can Suprastin help?
The drug is designed to stop the effects of histamine, which provokes tissue swelling and an allergic reaction. It blocks peripheral M-cholinergic receptors, eliminates the urge to vomit, and helps relieve spasms.
After taking an antihistamine, the active components penetrate the bloodstream and begin to act directly on the source of the allergy. This effect lasts up to six hours.
The active substance does not accumulate and is eliminated from the body after 2 days.
How it should be according to regulatory documents.
The basic principles of vaccination when working with all, including imported, vaccines are compliance with the “Cold Chain”, i.e. delivery of the vaccine from the manufacturer to the consumer at a certain temperature, compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards, monitoring the post-vaccination state, the presence of anti-shock equipment during vaccination at home and in a medical institution, medical assessment of indications and contraindications in the selection of drugs for vaccination.
Vaccinations must be carried out by medical personnel trained in the field of vaccination.
Vaccinations are only allowed for healthy medical personnel. Persons suffering from acute respiratory diseases, sore throats, injuries on their hands, purulent skin lesions should be excluded from vaccinations. In addition, those administering vaccinations (like all medical staff) must be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, and hepatitis B.
For preventive vaccinations, only domestic and foreign-made vaccines that are registered and approved for use in the Russian Federation should be used.
Is it necessary to give the drug before vaccination?
Suprastin should be given before vaccination in order to prepare for possible allergies and reduce the risk of adverse reactions after vaccination. But the opinion of pediatricians regarding taking the drug is ambiguous. Some of them are convinced that with its help it is possible to prevent the negative consequences of vaccination.
They explain their decision with the following facts:
- the medication is well tolerated by children;
- after taking Suprastin, vaccination is tolerated more easily, there is no redness at the injection site, there are no problems such as rash, Quincke's edema, anaphylaxis;
- The drug is inexpensive and can be purchased at any pharmacy.
Another part of pediatricians does not recommend giving a child an antiallergic drug. They justify this as follows:
the synthetic medicine contains numerous auxiliary components, and the load on the child’s body increases significantly;- intolerance to the drug is possible: if it is not suitable for the child, then after the vaccine it will not be possible to understand which drug the allergy has developed to;
- if the baby takes an antihistamine before vaccination, it is impossible to find out the true reaction to the administered vaccine;
- Suprastin does not always cope with a pronounced allergic reaction.
Drinking Suprastin is indicated in the following cases:
- individual protein intolerance;
- during the first vaccination, a rash appeared on the body;
- the child's tendency to be allergic to medications.
How many days before vaccination should you take it?
The drug should be taken 3-4 days before the planned procedure.
The duration of the preparatory period is determined by the doctor. The general condition of the baby and the tendency to develop allergies are taken into account.
What is the dosage
The dosage of the drug directly depends on the age of the baby:
- for an infant from one month to one year - 1/4 tablet in the morning, at lunch and in the evening;
- from one to six years – 1/3 tablet three times a day;
- from six to fourteen years - 1/2 tablet three times a day.
What to consider on the day of DTP vaccination
DPT is a vaccination that has a strong effect on the body, so it should not be carried out when the child is unwell or an epidemic is raging. You should not be afraid of an increase in temperature, infiltration, even vomiting and diarrhea, all this is normal. But it is worth showing patience and vigilant care for the child.
At the time of vaccination, the baby should be fed, but not to satiety. You should not offer food to your child until he asks for it and, if possible, give water instead of formula. In the case of breast milk, it is a little simpler; it contains antibodies that help reduce allergies.
To exclude severe allergic reactions, you need to know how to properly prepare your child for DTP. But taking any medications before vaccination should be discussed with your doctor.
Is it possible to vaccinate in hot or cold weather?
Heat and severe frost are contraindications if such weather is atypical for the region of residence. Harsh conditions have a strong impact on immunity and vaccination is not recommended in such weather conditions.
So, you should not be afraid of vaccinating your baby, knowing how to prepare your child will be able to reduce the negative consequences to a minimum.
Is it necessary to give the drug after DPT?
Suprastin should not be stopped immediately after vaccination. It is taken until the risk of negative consequences disappears.
What is the dosage after DTP
The dosage after vaccination does not differ from that prescribed during preparation for the procedure. The dose is determined taking into account the age of the small patient and his condition after the procedure.
If a severe reaction to the vaccine develops, the dosage is slightly increased. But you cannot make such a decision on your own. You should consult your doctor.
Komarovsky spoke about complications of reactions to vaccinations
On the eve of the start of the school year, pediatrician Komarovsky reminded parents about the advisability of vaccinating children and possible side effects.
The question of whether to vaccinate a child or not is probably the most discussed in our country. Especially at the end of summer, when many parents are preparing to send their most precious possessions to kindergarten or school.
Indeed, the final decision - to vaccinate or not - remains with the parents, but in order to make it, you need to spend time and study all the pros and cons, and not be influenced by rumors and horror stories.
In our lives, the very diseases that gave birth to the very phenomenon of vaccination occupy less and less place. Therefore, now diphtheria or tetanus is something rare and invisible, and vaccinations are a reality.
Nevertheless, vaccinations, carried out with high-quality vaccines and in accordance with certain rules, are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases.
And you need to do them when you have enough logic and common sense to compare the risks: the risk of diphtheria and the risk of diphtheria vaccination.
But even if you are a staunch opponent of vaccination, never buy “fake” certificates from unscrupulous doctors stating that your child has been vaccinated.
The Ministry of Health and common sense warn that by doing so you are putting your child and other children at additional risk:
We warn you that this is not only bribery, but also a huge harm to the health and life of the child, and not only one unvaccinated one, but also those children who communicate with him in a group. After all, vaccinating every child is a matter of safety for the entire society.
The Ministry of Health also reminded that cases of measles, whooping cough and tetanus in children are now becoming more frequent in Ukraine.
At the same time, no one calls for acting thoughtlessly; it is important to understand that the child must be ready for vaccination, sometimes complications occur and a reaction to vaccination is often possible
When children should not be vaccinated: contraindications to vaccination
What are vaccine complications?
First, you need to clearly understand the difference between reactions to vaccination and its complications. Complications are a huge rarity, one case in hundreds of thousands or even millions of vaccinations, which cannot be detected in advance by any examinations.
This is always an unpredictable individual response of a particular organism. This response is always possible when any medicine enters the body - be it paracetamol for a fever, ampicillin for a sore throat, or a vaccine for measles.
Thus, about complications, with a certain degree of convention, we can say that only chance works here.
What is a vaccine reaction?
Vaccine reactions are a different matter entirely. This happens often, but informed parents have many effective ways to reduce both the severity of reactions and the likelihood of them occurring.
They can choose vaccines, influence the place-time-conditions of vaccination, and take the right actions regarding the child’s lifestyle before and after vaccination.
Another fundamental point: do parents know how to react correctly to an increase in body temperature in their baby? Do they know the algorithm of mandatory actions, the necessary air parameters, and the walking regime? How to drink, how to feed, how, when, what, in what quantity to give medicine? Is this medicine available at home or will you have to run to the pharmacy at 3 a.m. to get it?
Komarovsky also reminded that proper care of the child before and especially after vaccination will minimize possible problems and facilitate the body’s reaction to the vaccine.
If parents keep a child in a hot room and rub him with vodka, and then these actions bring the child to the hospital, then when diagnosed with ARVI, mothers humbly undergo treatment, but if it was a reaction to a vaccine, then they will write on all social networks about how creepy vaccinators brought the child to an IV.
DTP vaccination. What kind of reaction is possible and what should parents do? Adverse reactions after routine vaccinations - what you need to know
The editors' opinion may not coincide with the opinion of the author of the article.
How to give the drug before vaccination to young children
One of the disadvantages of the medicine is its bitter taste.
Therefore, children are not given it in its pure form. The tablet is crushed into powder and mixed with a small amount of breast milk or infant formula.
It is also possible to use the drug in the form of injections. The drug is administered at a dosage of 0.25 ml per day. However, it is worth considering that when choosing Suprastin injections, the baby will be subjected to additional stress.
When an antihistamine should not be given
If no side effects were observed after the first vaccination, Suprastin may not be given to the child.
There are a number of contraindications to its use:
individual intolerance to the components of the drug;- liver dysfunction;
- bronchial asthma;
- prematurity.
Possible side effects
Suprastin can lead to a deterioration in the patient's condition. The most commonly observed ones are:
- excessive sleepiness;
- nausea;
- gagging;
- tremor of the limbs;
- dizziness;
- decreased blood pressure;
arrhythmia;- muscle weakness;
- diarrhea;
- pain in the abdominal area;
- increased intraocular pressure;
- excessive nervous excitement;
- loss of appetite.
These are temporary changes. They disappear almost immediately after the baby stops taking the drug.
Is Fenistil harmful to children?
The manufacturer, of course, claims that his drug is suitable even for infants. But what developer would criticize his products rather than praise them? But for the sake of fairness, it is still worth noting that this antihistamine is more gentle than the first generation drugs - Suprastin and Tavegil.
The most convenient form is drops. They are easiest to give to a baby. But for topical use there is such a form as a gel. This drug blocks histamine receptors, due to which the effect is milder. Therefore, Fenistil is given to newborns from the 2nd month of life. But there are parents who believe that such a drug does not have the desired effect. Why? The thing is that every body is individual, including children’s. Therefore, it is very difficult to predict the effect or side effect. It is this moment that makes it necessary to consult a doctor.
The most convenient form of medication for a baby is drops. Fenistil is available in this form
Fenistil is given to newborns strictly according to the instructions. In addition, parents should strictly monitor the child's reaction to monitor whether his condition changes in any way. If symptoms of an alarming nature or previously unusual reactions are detected, you should immediately call a doctor.
Children under one year of age may experience the following side effects from taking this medicine:
- increased fatigue and drowsiness;
- a feeling of nausea (if the child can talk, he will complain of lightheadedness);
- May cause headaches or dizziness;
- excessive activation, which may cause problems falling asleep;
- a rash may appear on the skin;
- spasmodic muscle reactions.
Therefore, Fenistil is used very carefully for newborns.
