Autism and Vaccinations

There is much debate over whether early immunization shots for babies and toddlers can induce Autism in children. Some parents and experts say there is a connection, while other experts refute this claim. Certainly, how your newborn baby is immunized is a topic parents should research and discuss with their doctors. Vaccinations are a great social experiment - some may not be necessary and others can be delayed.

Here are some points to consider:

Does the baby need a particular vaccination immediately? Today newborns are routinely vaccinated against the Hepatitis B virus before they leave the hospital. But Hepatitis B is normally transferred through sexual contact and by sharing needles and toothbrushes with infected people. Babies don't have sex nor share needles. Consider delaying this vaccination until the child is older...

Not all shots are necessary. Receiving a polio vaccination may be a higher priority than a chicken pox vaccination. Most children's immune system can handle getting chicken pox.

Are Booster Shots Really Required? Booster shots are recommended for some vaccinations, but they may not be necessary. The first shot may have been effective enough to protect the child. Have your doctor test to see if a booster shot is really necessary.

Spread the vaccines out over a longer period of time. Current injection schedules have a baby receiving 5 shots per visit. That is a lot of stuff being injected all at once. Consider fewer shots at a time spread out over more doctor's visits.

For more details about how your child should be immunized, visit Should I vaccinate my baby? - CNN.com.

There is more than one way to schedule how and with what you child is immunized. Adapting a more flexible approach that spreads out the vaccinations may or may not keep your child from becoming Autistic, but it is worth looking into. It certainly seems like commonsense to me, not to overwhelm your baby with a batch of injections over a short period time. Again, of course, this should be discussed with your doctor and probably more than once.

For more on Autism, visit Autism - Breaking the Silence.

On a lighter note, if you are looking for a name for your baby, check out Naming The Baby.