National Infant Immunization Week

Infants under the age of two are susceptible to a variety of serious illnesses that can significantly harm or even kill them, as their immune system is still in an early stage of development. This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a series of immunizations that can protect infants against some of the most dangerous diseases to their health.

Many parents may have concerns about vaccinating their children due to potential side effects. While mild adverse reactions are possible with many vaccines, they typically disappear on their own within a few days. Generally, the side effects most children may expect include reactions such as fever, fatigue, body aches, and swelling or tenderness around the site of the injection. More serious, long-lasting side effects are extremely rare.

Vaccines such as those given to infants only use the ingredients necessary to be safe and effective. These ingredients may often include adjuvants (commonly found in antacids and antiperspirants), stabilizers (such as sugar or gelatin), and formaldehyde (which is already present in the body). Additionally, all vaccines go through extensive lab testing, often for years, before they are available to the general public.

The CDC recommends vaccinating children under the age of two against:

  • Hepatitis B
  • Rotavirus
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b
  • Pneumococcal conjugate
  • Inactivated poliovirus
  • COVID-19
  • Influenza
  • Measles, mumps, rubella
  • Varicella
  • Hepatitis A

You can find the complete schedule of recommended vaccines for your child by age on the CDC’s website. To schedule an appointment for your child to receive the vaccines they need, you can call Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Center at (718) 670-5486.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Flushing Hospital Medical Center Designated Baby-Friendly

Flushing Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) has received the prestigious international recognition as a Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility. Baby-Friendly USA, Inc is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this prestigious international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.

FHMC offers  the following classes free of charge at FHMC:
  • Childbirth education classes on Saturday monthly. Call 718-670-3020
  • Infant feeding classes weekly on Tuesday at 10am Ob/Gyn Ambulatory Care Center on the 5th floor
  • Breastfeeding Support Group weekly, Wednesdays, 1pm 5 West conference room, by appointment 718-670-5201
  • Free tours of the Perinatal area by calling 718-670-5239
  • Women Infants and Children (WIC) office on the 5th floor 718-670-5277

Robert Levine, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at FHMC, congratulated the entire OB/GYN team for their hard work.

 

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Mumps

Pediatrician examining lymph nodes

Are you concerned that your child may contract mumps?  First, we have to find out what mumps is!

Mumps is a viral infection that affects the parotid glands, which are located slightly below and in front of the ears.  If a child has contracted mumps, these glands can swell causing discomfort. Although rare, mumps can potentially cause hearing loss, meningitis, encephalitis and orchitis (in males).

Mumps was common in the United States until a mumps vaccination became available.  After the vaccination, health officials saw the number of cases drop significantly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of mumps usually appear within two weeks of exposure to the virus. Flu-like symptoms may be the first to appear, including:

  • fatigue
  • body aches
  • headache
  • loss of appetite
  • low-grade fever

A high fever (up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit) and swelling of the salivary glands follow over the next few days. The glands may not all swell initially. More commonly, they swell and become painful. The mumps virus is most contagious to another person from the time you come into contact with the virus to when your parotid glands swell.

There isn’t a course of treatment for mumps, so applying warm or cold packs to the swollen glands that are tender can be helpful.  Additionally, health professionals encourage children between the ages of 12 through 15 months of age to receive their first measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination and their second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.

Although mumps is no longer very common in the United States. From year to year, mumps cases can range from roughly a couple hundred to a couple thousand. For more information on how to track mumps outbreaks state, you can visit the CDC site –     https://www.cdc.gov/mumps/outbreaks.html

If you are interested in making an appointment with a pediatrician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, you can schedule an appointment at our Ambulatory Care Center at 718-670-5486.

 

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.