Reasons for refusal
Pediatricians do not recommend bathing a newborn baby immediately after vaccination.
This is due to the following reasons:
- Quality of tap water. It contains pathogenic microorganisms that can penetrate the affected area. This threatens the onset of an inflammatory process.
Risk of hypothermia. It is possible to develop colds against the background of decreased immunity;- Contact with hot water. This may cause your body temperature to rise.
Swimming is a contraindication if there is a pronounced reaction of the body to the administered vaccine.
It is not recommended to wash if you have the following symptoms:
- runny nose;
- weakness;
- hyperthermia;
- cough;
- general malaise.
Bathing a child is allowed only after his condition has normalized.
Contraindications for BCG vaccination
The maternity hospital may temporarily postpone BCG vaccination in the following cases:
- prematurity;
- presence of intrauterine infection;
- development of purulent-septic diseases;
- hemolytic disease of newborns;
- severe pathologies of the nervous system.
BCG revaccination is not given to children if they have:
- acute pathological process in the body of any etiology;
- exacerbation of allergies;
- state of immunodeficiency;
- doubtful or positive Mantoux reaction;
- complicated reaction to a previous administration of the BCG vaccine;
- malignant process in the body of any localization.
The doctor identifies all possible contraindications for vaccination and revaccination during the examination of the child immediately before vaccination.
On what day is it allowed to bathe a child?
The first vaccination is given in the maternity hospital. Parents will bathe the baby for the first time only after discharge, so no questions arise.
When the baby is brought home, taking a bath after the hospital will benefit him.
It’s a completely different matter if BCG was not done in the maternity hospital for some reason.
If the drug is administered in a children's clinic, you should immediately ask your doctor about all the precautions that should be taken during the post-vaccination period.
Doctors allow you to wash your child a day after immunization.
This is due to the fact that in the first few hours after vaccination the temperature may rise. During the day it subsides.
If the baby has a normal body temperature the next day, post-vaccination reactions do not appear, he can be safely bathed. Even if the injection site is slightly swollen and begins to fester, this is not considered a contraindication for a bath.
The main thing is to wash the baby for several days without soap and not to exert mechanical force on the affected area. Swimming will be extremely beneficial.
Basic rules for swimming
When bathing for the first time in the post-vaccination period, you need to adhere to a number of important recommendations:
use exclusively clean, boiled water;- avoid sudden changes in temperature, for example, immediately after a bath, transfer the baby to a cool room;
- do not use hot water;
- avoid keeping the child in the water for a long time: three to five minutes is enough;
- do not rub the affected area with a washcloth and towel; if the injection site is damaged, the risk of infection and the development of post-vaccination complications increases;
- stop using all kinds of cosmetics and even soap;
- Do not cover the injection site with a band-aid.
Bathe babies in a bathtub. After this, carefully wipe with a towel, without touching the papule that has formed on the hand.
Technique of placement and reaction to BCG injection
The manipulation is carried out by a nurse who has special access to the procedure.
The drug is administered strictly intradermally. The injection site is the border between the upper and middle third of the left shoulder.
Subcutaneous administration of a vaccine is a gross violation of vaccination. It is fraught with serious consequences in the form of a subcutaneous abscess, after which a rough scar may remain.
With the correct placement technique, after BCG vaccination, a small papule will form at the site of injection of the drug in the baby, which will resolve quite quickly. After about a month, a small pink or red lump appears in the same place. Gradually it turns into a pustule. After some more time it opens up. In its place a small ulcer appears, which quickly becomes covered with a crust. By six months it disappears and the wound heals. Only a small scar remains, which remains with the child for life.
Unlike other vaccinations, the reaction after administration of the BCG and BCG-M vaccines in all children is only local, without fever.
That is, they do not affect the general condition of the child in any way. If suddenly the parents notice that after vaccination he has a runny nose, or he starts coughing, you shouldn’t blame everything on the vaccination. It is quite possible that this is a common cold, which you can catch anywhere. However, it is still worth showing the baby to a doctor about this.
We recommend reading! Follow the link: BCG vaccination in newborns
In what cases is it permissible to bathe after vaccination?
There is no strict ban on swimming immediately after vaccination. If the baby feels normal, no negative changes in his condition are observed, there is no fever, and you should not postpone the bath until the next day.
Swimming is allowed on the day of vaccination. The main thing is to follow the rules and avoid any negative impact.
What is strictly forbidden to do after BCG vaccination?
After vaccination, the doctor must warn the parents of the vaccinated baby about the following points:
- It is prohibited to rub the injection site with a washcloth or steam it while bathing;
- Do not squeeze out the pustule or tear off the crust;
- It is prohibited to treat the injection site with brilliant green and other antiseptics, as well as apply ointments and bandages.
To develop high-quality immunity, the wound must heal on its own, without outside intervention. A doctor or nurse will definitely monitor her, recording all changes after vaccination in the child’s card.
Why there is disagreement: can you bathe or not?
Pediatricians have different opinions regarding water procedures.
Doctors working “the old fashioned way” strictly prohibit washing a child on the first day after vaccination. They explain this by the fact that the water in the taps is of poor quality, and the baby’s immunity is weakened in the post-vaccination period. Therefore, it is better not to subject the child’s body to additional stress.
Another group of doctors has the opposite opinion. They believe that swimming after BCG has enormous benefits.
It is especially noticeable if immunization is carried out in the summer.
In hot weather there is profuse sweating. When an aggressive substance gets on the wound, irritation, itching and discomfort occurs. When in contact with water, the affected tissues are restored faster, and unpleasant sensations are eliminated.
Vaccination is a serious stress for a child. The baby can be frightened by this process.
Thanks to bathing, he calms down and reduces emotional and physiological stress. Therefore, the baby tolerates the post-vaccination period much easier.
Water procedures can reduce the risk of negative reactions. The wound heals much faster, and the chances of infection are minimized.
Reasons for the ban on water treatments
A number of medical specialists recommend bathing the child a day before the day when the BCG vaccination is expected, and after the procedure, refrain from bathing for 2-3 days. Doctors give this recommendation in order to protect a vaccinated baby from even the most insignificant chance of contracting an infection through the injection site.
When determining whether it is possible to bathe a child after BCG or not, you should focus, first of all, on his condition. If after the procedure his temperature rises or symptoms of general malaise are observed, then bathing in this case is not allowed. But if the baby is cheerful, alert and active, then there is no reason to limit water procedures, in which case the answer to the question of whether the vaccine can be wetted is positive.
Another reason for the ban, related to the fear of infection, is fear for the cleanliness and safety of running water. Many people believe that the water is not sufficiently purified and contains many pathogens. But in fact, contact with water does not pose any danger to the baby.
A child should not be bathed if he or she exhibits the following symptoms:
- runny nose;
- heat;
- lethargy;
- cough;
- general malaise.
If these phenomena are observed, you need to consult a doctor as soon as possible for advice and prevent possible harmful consequences.
SENSATION! Follow the link:
Child's reaction to the first Mantoux vaccination
What to do if the vaccination site gets wet
Many parents remember from their childhood that vaccinations cannot be wet. True, we are not talking about BCG, but the Mantoux test.
The confusion arose due to the fact that the drugs administered are closely related to each other. At the same time, the ban on swimming even after a tuberculin test has long been lifted. It never applied to BCG.
If you accidentally wet the vaccine injection site, nothing bad will happen.
It is not at all necessary to protect the baby from contact with water, much less cover the papule with a band-aid. You just need to make sure that the affected tissues are not steamed.
In addition, the child should not scratch them, squeeze out pus, or perform any other actions.
Even if an abscess forms, you can wet the vaccination site. You just need to beware of active influence on it to avoid infection.
What could be the consequences if you wet a papule?
Each child's reaction to vaccination is different.
It is impossible to predict it. Most often, no negative changes are observed when the wound comes into contact with water. On the contrary, there is a positive trend.
But this doesn't always happen. For example, if the water contains chlorine or other harmful substances, a local reaction to them is possible. In this case, the injection site becomes red and inflamed. A sharp rise in temperature cannot be ruled out either.
Another possible problem is the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the wound. The risk of such problems is extremely small, but it cannot be completely excluded.
Against the background of infection, the affected tissues also become inflamed, and a purulent process may begin. The child must be shown to the pediatrician.
If you bathe your baby without paying attention to the presence of side effects, his condition may worsen. The development of hyperthermia cannot be ruled out.
An increase in temperature above +39 °C is dangerous for a child: convulsive syndrome and a number of other negative changes may occur. In such a situation, you should immediately call an ambulance.
What is BCG
BCG and BCG-M vaccinations are vaccinations that help develop immunity against tuberculosis.
The first time it is done to a newborn in the maternity hospital on days 3-5. Next, according to the vaccination schedule, revaccination is carried out for children aged 7 and 14 years, but only after a preliminary Mantoux test, and its result must be negative. Otherwise, even if the reaction is questionable, BCG is not done. Tuberculosis is a terrible disease. The number of cases is growing every year. The body can only be protected from it through vaccination, which stimulates the production of immunity. Therefore, you should not refuse vaccination against tuberculosis, but get it within the time frame provided for by the schedule.
