Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums

User menu

  • My alerts

Search

  • Advanced search
The College of Family Physicians of Canada
  • Other Publications
    • http://www.cfpc.ca/Canadianfamilyphysician/
    • https://www.cfpc.ca/Login/
    • Careers and Locums
  • My alerts
The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Current
    • Published Ahead of Print
    • Archive
    • Supplemental Issues
    • Collections - French
    • Collections - English
  • Info for
    • Authors & Reviewers
    • Submit a Manuscript
    • Advertisers
    • Careers & Locums
    • Subscribers
    • Permissions
  • About CFP
    • About CFP
    • About the CFPC
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
  • Feedback
    • Feedback
    • Rapid Responses
    • Most Read
    • Most Cited
    • Email Alerts
  • Blogs
    • Latest Blogs
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Directives pour les blogues
  • Mainpro+ Credits
    • About Mainpro+
    • Member Login
    • Instructions
  • RSS feeds
  • Follow cfp Template on Twitter
Research ArticleCurrent Practice

Kinder immunizations for babies

Michelle Greiver
Canadian Family Physician December 2007, 53 (12) 2116;
Michelle Greiver
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • eLetters
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

We give many “shots” to babies. In Ontario, infants usually get 2 needles at 2, 4, 6, 12, 15, and 18 months of age. I routinely ask parents to give their baby some acetaminophen before the visits and have recently implemented several other changes to decrease the discomfort associated with vaccinations.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found that babies vaccinated with longer needles (25 mm) had fewer local reactions than those vaccinated with shorter needles (16 mm).1 I now use 25-gauge, 1-inch needles. At the end of the well-baby examination, I load both vaccines in my laboratory area, away from the examination room, and fill the immunization card ahead of time. When I return, I ask mom or dad to hold baby securely in their arms, I put half of each band-aid on, and I get my alcohol wipes ready. I let the baby’s mother know that she can breastfeed afterward if she wishes and then quickly give both vaccines. I try to have all my counseling finished before giving the needles so that parents can concentrate on soothing their baby. I just remind parents to make the next appointment and let them know that they can take their time getting their child settled and ready to go. I then leave the examination room.

Babies seem to cry and fuss less with this process; I think the calmer approach is helpful to parents as well. These changes have not added any time to the visits; I think they could easily be implemented by any health professional offering vaccines to infants.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests

    None declared

  • Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada

Reference

  1. ↵
    1. Diggle L,
    2. Deeks JJ,
    3. Pollard AJ
    . Effect of needle size on immunogenicity and reactogenicity of vaccines in infants: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2006;333(7568):571.
    OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Canadian Family Physician: 53 (12)
Canadian Family Physician
Vol. 53, Issue 12
1 Dec 2007
  • Table of Contents
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on The College of Family Physicians of Canada.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Kinder immunizations for babies
(Your Name) has sent you a message from The College of Family Physicians of Canada
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the The College of Family Physicians of Canada web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Citation Tools
Kinder immunizations for babies
Michelle Greiver
Canadian Family Physician Dec 2007, 53 (12) 2116;

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Respond to this article
Share
Kinder immunizations for babies
Michelle Greiver
Canadian Family Physician Dec 2007, 53 (12) 2116;
Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Footnotes
    • Reference
  • Info & Metrics
  • eLetters
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • A small scar
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

Current Practice

  • Scurvy
  • Intraprofessional relationships
  • Answer: Answer to Ophthaproblem
Show more Current Practice

Practice Tips

  • Tennis elbow no more
  • Medical palmistry
  • Love matters
Show more Practice Tips

Similar Articles

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Archive
  • Collections - English
  • Collections - Française

For Authors

  • Authors and Reviewers
  • Submit a Manuscript
  • Permissions
  • Terms of Use

General Information

  • About CFP
  • About the CFPC
  • Advertisers
  • Careers & Locums
  • Editorial Advisory Board
  • Subscribers

Journal Services

  • Email Alerts
  • Twitter
  • RSS Feeds

Copyright © 2023 by The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Powered by HighWire