Immunise your baby, it keeps disease away from them

The decision to have a baby is always an important one, considering all the responsibilities that go with it.

For one, experts say, the care of a baby starts right from day one of conception and continues until the child is two years old, when, experts say, the guarantee is there that the baby has survived the odds and can live to grow to a healthy adult, all other things being equal.


A statistics released by Save the Children — a leading independent organisation that creates lasting change in the lives of needy children around the world — notes that the first 1,000 days are vital to a baby’s long-term health development. The 1,000 days consist of nine months in the womb and the first two years of life,

Researchers counsel that once a woman realises that she is pregnant, she must adopt healthy habits that will nurture her and the baby in the womb.

This has support in a research done by Prof. David Barker and his team at Southampton University, which found that a baby’s period in the womb could permanently affect everything — from its chances of developing diabetes or having a heart attack in old age, to its future weight and life expectancy.

The researchers note that a pregnant mother’s diet affects both her unborn baby’s weight and how well the placenta functions, while poor lifestyle choices such as smoking, drug abuse and alcohol can wreak havoc on the baby’s health.

Scientists contend that when a pregnant mom is malnourished, it bounces back on her unborn baby’s health, as it could affect the baby’s vital organs such as the heart, which can be weakened, in addition to heightened odds of developing diabetes later in life.

The scientists also reveal that babies who weigh less than normal at birth are more likely to have heart attack later in life.

Barker says, “It is about building a body that the baby can live off. The baby lives off the mother’s body — not what she snacks on during pregnancy. What we are seeing is a window of opportunity where we can make better people.”

With these recommendations, one might think that once an expectant mom takes precautionary steps and has a safe delivery, we can shout “Hosannah.” Not so quick, experts warn.

Once a child is born, physicians say, apart from exclusively breast-feeding him for the first six months in order to fend off infections and solidify his immunity, there are vaccinations that a newborn must take until he is five years old.

Child and Public Health Specialist, Dr. Rotimi Adesanya, notes that vaccinations prevent childhood killer diseases, namely pneumonia, diphtheria, polio, tetanus, tuberculosis, measles and whooping cough.

In addition to these, physicians say, babies must be vaccinated against rotavirus, Hepatitis B and influenza.

Childhood pneumonia

Described as the world’s biggest killer of children, pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs.

Epidemiologist, Mr. Dele Aroyewu, says when an individual has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, making breathing painful and limiting oxygen intake.

The World Health Organisation says pneumonia is the single largest cause of death in children worldwide. “Every year, it kills an estimated 1.2 million children under the age of five years, accounting for 18 per cent of all deaths of children under five years old worldwide,” WHO says.

Experts say pneumonia can be prevented by immunisation, adequate nutrition and by addressing environmental factors. As for children who are already infected, physicians say, pneumonia caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotics.

Diphtheria

This is a serious bacterial infection that one can catch from a person who has the infection and coughs or sneezes. It usually affects the nose and throat. Family physician, Dr. Abiodun Oyewusi, explains that typically, diphtheria causes sore throat, fever, swollen glands and weakness.

“The hallmark sign is a sheet of thick, gray material covering the back of the throat. This can block the windpipe so that the patient has to struggle for breath,” Oyewusi says.

Scientists warn that in advanced stages, diphtheria can damage the heart, kidneys and the nervous system. “Even with treatment, diphtheria can be deadly, because as many as 10 per cent of patients die of it,” Oyewusi laments.

Like other child killer disease, it is preventable by appropriate vaccine.

Polio

This is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus and mainly affects children under five years of age. Adesanya warns that the polio virus targets the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.

He says the virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. “Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs.”

The WHO statistics reveals that one in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs); and that among those paralysed, between five and 10 per cent die when their breathing muscles become immobilised. It is preventable through vaccine.

Childhood tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a chronic disease that can persist for years if it isn’t treated. Physicians say children can present with TB at any age, but the most common age is between one and four years.

A specialist in TB at the Department of Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Dr. Greg Erhabor, says TB mainly infects the lungs, although it also can affect other organs. In worst case scenario, Erhabor says, TB can lead to the curvature of the spine (hunch back). It is preventable with vaccination.

Tetanus

Physicians say tetanus is characterised by muscle spasms, initially in the jaw muscles. As the disease progresses, mild stimuli may trigger “generalised titanic” seizure-like activity, which contributes to serious complications and eventually death, unless supportive treatment is given.

“Tetanus can be prevented by the administration of tetanus toxoid, which induces specific antitoxins,” Oyewusi says.

Whooping cough

Whooping cough is an infectious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable coughing. Experts say though anyone can get whooping cough, it is more common in infants and children; and that it is especially dangerous for infants. It is vaccine-preventable.

Measles

Adesanya says measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can be very unpleasant and possibly lead to serious complications, including blindness and even death.

“It is a highly contagious, serious disease caused by a virus. It is one of the leading causes of death among young children, even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available,” he deposes.

Rotavirus

Experts say rotaviruses are the most common cause of severe diarrhoeal illness in infants and young children, as it causes vomiting and diarrhoea; and can kill young children. The British Medical Journal states that children who were vaccinated against rotavirus were 70 per cent less likely to be hospitalised for rotavirus diarrhoea, compared to unvaccinated children.

Oyewusi notes that the vaccine provides broad protection against rotavirus through the first two years of life, when children face the greatest risk of death from the dehydrating diarrhoea that rotavirus can cause.

Hepatitis B

This is an infectious inflammatory illness of the liver, caused by the hepatitis B virus. It attacks the liver and places people at high risk of death from cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. It is preventable with safe and effective vaccine.

Pentavalent vaccine

For moms who may be concerned about the sheer number of jabs that their babies will take, the good news here is that Pentavalent vaccine, developed by Gavi Alliance, is now available in Nigeria, being a combination of five-vaccines-in-one that prevents diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type b, all through a single dose.

Adesanya says, if vaccines are properly administered, with children getting all doses, the rate of infections will come down and humanity will be better for it.