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The Parent Times>
November 2009 - H1N1 Vaccine
November 2, 2009
H1N1 Vaccine
To continue with my newsletter from last month dealing with the H1N1 virus, I will now take a quick look at the H1N1 vaccine which is starting to be distributed this month.
First lets take a look at the two different types of vaccines, an adjuvanted vaccine and a non-adjuvated vaccine. Here are the definitions for both (these definitions were taken from the Public Health Agency of Canadas website):
Adjuvanted a vaccine that includes a substance that
boosts an individuals immune system and increases their
response to a vaccine.
Non-Adjuvanted these vaccines have no booster element.
The vaccine used in Canada for the H1N1 virus is an adjuvanted vaccine. In the United States they have chosen to use a non-adjuvanted vaccine.
Children and the Vaccine
Canada has chosen the adjuvanted vaccine. This vaccine is recommended for children 6 months old and up. Children between 6 months old and 10 years old are recommended to have this vaccine in two half-doses 21 days apart. The reason they administer the vaccine this way is that for children receiving the seasonal flu vaccine who are between the ages of 6 to 23 months old or children who are over the age of 23 months to ten years old receiving the flu vaccine for the first time they also receive two half doses of the vaccine. Since the H1N1 flu vaccine is an influenza vaccine, the recommendation for administering this vaccine is the same as the flu vaccine. Further, children who did receive a full dose were higher in clinical trials to show a reaction.
Vaccine and Possible Side Effects
The most common side effects reported after the H1N1 vaccine was given were minor and included pain, swelling and redness at the injection site. Other common reactions were fatigue, muscle and joint pain and headache. In younger children a fever, drowsiness, irritability and loss of appetite were also reported in low numbers.
Egg Allergy
Lastly, in last months newsletter I advised that the vaccine does have egg product in it. People with a hypersensitivity to eggs should NOT receive the vaccine. If you have a mild egg allergy, you should consult your physician or other healthcare provider before receiving the immunization.
All of the above information came from the Public Health Agency of Canadas website. For more information on the H1N1 Immunization check out the Public Health Agency of Canadas website at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/alert-alerte/h1n1/index-eng.php
How Tall will my Baby Be?
Every wonder about the above question? I think all parents at one time wonder what their child will be like, what they will look like and how tall they think they will be. These are all questions parents think about at one time or another. These days there are many formulas out there to try to predict how tall your child will be. One formula I had heard about was that you take your childs height at their second birthday and multiply it by 2. Another formula I had heard of was taking the parents height, adding them together and then dividing that number by 2. There are of course other formulas that are much more detailed and take into account the childs birth month, parents height, eye and hair color of the child, etc. All of these formulas that have been used over time at some point had some scientific base but they really are just good guesses. There will never be one formula that can give you an absolute height since there are so many factors that can come into play such as illnesses, accidents and nutritional health.
We do know that genetics will have the most influence on a childs final height. In this newsletter I will outline one formula that is used by some endocrinologists.
FOR BOYS
1. Take each parent's height and add them together. If using
the english system, total the number of inches. If using
metric, add the centimeters together.
2. Divide that number by 2
3. Add 2.5 inches to that number if using the english system.
Add 6.5 centimeters to the number if using metric.
4. This number is the midparental height for boys
5. This number plus or minus 4 inches (or plus/minus 10
centimeters) is the range in which you could expect your
son to fall.
FOR GIRLS
1. Take each parent's height and add them together. If using
the english system, total the number of inches. If using
metric, add the centimeters together.
2. Divide that number by 2
3. Subtract 2.5 inches to that number if using the english
system Subtract 6.5 centimeters to the number if using
metric
4. This number is the midparental height for girls
5. This number plus or minus 4 inches (or plus/minus 10
centimeters) is the range in which you could expect your
daughter to fall.
(This chart and information was taken from the following site - http://parenting.ivillage.com/baby/bdevelopment/0,,3q7c,00.html)
Fun Growth Facts
1. Children usually grow a bit faster during the Spring than
during other times of the year;
2. By 2 years, growth in height usually continues at a fairly
steady rate of approximately 2? inches (6 centimeters) per
year until adolescence;
3. A major growth spurt occurs at the time of puberty. Usually
kids enter puberty between age 8 to 13 years in girls and
10 to 15 years in boys;
4. Most kids need an average of 10 to 12 hours of sleep per
night. Sleep gives growing bodies the rest they need to
continue growing properly;
5. Girls and boys are measured on different growth charts
because they grow in different patterns and at different
rates;
Please note that all of this information is offered as suggestions only. Please always consult your physician if you have any worries or questions about your child's health. We cannot think of everything and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure their childrens safety.
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Erin Johnston
Child Safety Professionals
www.childsafetyprofessionals.com
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