Maternal Immunization Blog

10 Tips for Pregnant Travelers

admin — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:42:48 +0000

It can be extremely stressful to travel when you’re pregnant. This is because you not only need to look out for yourself, but also for your baby. It can also be very uncomfortable. When planning an upcoming trip, there are steps that you can take to make sure that you and your baby are more comfortable during your travels. This will allow you to better enjoy your entire vacation. Take a look at the following information to check out some of these helpful tips.

There are many things that you can do to help make your travel experience better. You should always wear lose clothing when traveling during your pregnancy. This can help you to feel more relaxed and comfortable. You should also avoid excessive driving. Don’t try to drive a whole trip on your own! If someone else is able to drive, take him or her up on the offer. You should also be careful of the types of foods that you eat while on the road, so that you can avoid heartburn, nausea, and other discomforts. You should also make sure that you don’t forget to eat.

To avoid stress, you should also plan as much ahead as possible. This will allow you to have fewer worries during your vacation. It’s better to be prepared! While on your trip, also make sure that you take enough breaks. If you’re always on the go, you won’t be able to get the rest that your body needs. These are just some of the tips that you can follow to help make your vacation easier.

When planning your next trip, you also want to make sure that you’re more comfortable by choosing a quality hotel. This can allow you to better enjoy a relaxing atmosphere each night. Take the time to research hotels carefully so that you’re able to make the best decision. With the help of HelloWeeekends.com, you can take advantage of the best hotel at the most affordable rates. You can browse and compare all of your options in a matter of minutes. There are so many discount hotels and cheap hotels to choose from. Finding the perfect hotel has never been easier. Get started now!

First Aid Courses – Helping to Help Others

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 09:21:01 +0000

All persons really should have some training in first aid. One never knows when they will encounter a situation that requires them to administer first aid. Sometimes whether a person can respond promptly in a time of crisis can be the difference in whether a person survives or does not. There are many opportunities for one to take first aid courses in their community. The local Red Cross offers many courses that one can take. Many hospitals and community centers also offer training in first aid. For children the boy or girl scouts will generally offer first aid courses as well.

Some of the types of first aid courses that one may enroll in are on basic first aid techniques, first aid for babysitters, pet first aid, CPR and other such classes. It is important for persons who care for others especially to be sure they have first aid training. CPR training is a very important course. One learns in the course how to help a person who has stopped breathing and also what to do to assist someone whose heart has stopped beating. This can be a crucial factor in whether or not a person survives until medical help can arrive to care for the victim. CPR is not difficult but it does require one to learn the technique.

In addition to first aid courses that one may attend, there are also online sites that offer first aid training. This is not quite as thorough as hands on training, but it still can be helpful for one who needs to know basic first aid and what to do in the time of a crisis. There are also many courses that are custom fitted for specific occasions such as swimming or boating, hiking, car travel and other such activities. By becoming familiar with these techniques one will be more confident in their first aid skills and that can be most beneficial when one is dealing with an emergency.

Some first aid courses do charge a fee for the class. This is really a small amount to pay for being able to assist a loved one in the time of an emergency. First aid is designed only to keep the victim in stable condition until medical help can arrive. This makes it something that all persons should think about making sure that not only they know, but those in their family as well. It is one of the best gifts a person can give to their family.

Passive Maternal Immunization to Protect the Mother & Neonate

admin — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:19:20 +0000

In the first month of life, an infant’s immune system is not fully mature. It is questionable how effective immunization is during this time. It is important that a mother has received the proper immunizations so that the infant is protected by virtue of passive immunity. The mother’s immunity can protect the infant during the time that the infant’s system is not yet functioning up to full capability. The mother’s antibodies can protect the infant of for the first three to six months of life. The infant must develop antibodies of their own. Some diseases and infection can be prevented by infant vaccination.

Infants have do not have fully functioning immune systems at least through the first month of life (neonate). Even vaccinations are not very effective until the system is more mature. Infants are protected from diseases and infections during this time by their mother’s passive immunity. When a mother has been immunized or has antibodies built up against bacteria and viruses these pass through the placenta before birth. One of the few substances that are enabled to pass through the placenta is immunoglobulin G which is a type of antibody. This occurs at about the third month of gestation and acts as a protection to fetus throughout gestation and extends for a while after birth. This is called passive immunization. Breast milk also contains antibodies that continue to protect the infant.

Passive immunization can occur artificially as well. Patients who are recovering from a certain disease or illness are used to acquire antibodies that are then injected into others who have been exposed and are at high risk for infection. This treatment is not usually used on infants, but the process was inspired by the passive immunity of mother and infant.

It is extremely important for mothers to be immunized against basic diseases; otherwise this protection will not extend to the neonate via passive immunization. Mothers who are not protected from illness will not be able to protect their infants from illness. Even basic bacteria immunity is passed from mother to infant as a protection in that first month of life. However, mothers never exposed to basic bacteria will put their infants at high risk for developing a simple yet deadly infection. Some experimentation with vaccines during pregnancy has been conducted successfully. Mothers who lack antibodies against disease can be immunized during pregnancy to help protect their infants after birth.

Maternal Immunization against Viral Disease

admin — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:51:23 +0000

It is a well established fact that a mother’s immunity is passed on to her infant. Whatever the mother is protected against, the infant is protected against. There is great promise in the future that infants could be protected against several viruses via their mothers. As an added benefit, the mother and the infant will be protected and the occurrence of illness could be reduced with maternal viral immunization. Aside from the usual vaccines like polio and rubella, illnesses such as influenza, herpes, human immunodeficiency virus, and respiratory viruses could be treated or prevented.

Maternal viral immunization is effective because immunoglobulin is one of the substances that can pass through the placenta. IgG is the only type of antibody that can pass through the placenta. It does so by attaching to receptors on the placenta then passes through. These antibodies will protect the infant through the most delicate time, the first month. Infants do not respond well to vaccines in that first month because their immune systems are not fully developed and don’t respond to vaccines like a more mature immune system. In that first month, the infant is protected by the passive immunity of the mother. After that period, the infant is capable of developing its own immunity and can effectively be vaccinated.

Vaccines have been developed for most major childhood illnesses like pertussis and measles. But research is beginning to prove that other vaccines given via maternal viral immunization can protect against viruses that are not usually a part of an infant’s vaccination schedule. These include influenza and other seasonal threats like respiratory illnesses that are so dangerous to infants and children. Research has also shown that mothers vaccinated against herpes extend that protection to their infants. Most promising is the vaccine given to pregnant women that can protect against human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV.

When a child is first born it does not have an immune system that can fight off even the simplest of infections. Even simple bacterial infections can prove deadly for a neonate. Viruses are the same. There is little hope that an infant will resist infection when exposed to a virus in that first month of life. Maternal viral immunization is the best way to keep newborns from contracting illness that might mean death otherwise. Whether the mother is immunized in childhood or during pregnancy, these benefits will be passed to the infants and help them get a great start on life.

Photo by visualscience.ru

First Neonatal and Maternal Immunization Symposium

admin — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 13:11:14 +0000

The International Neonatal and Maternal Immunization Symposium is held annually in Turkey. They are focused on education and research in the development of the immune system in neonates and in the role that immunization of their mothers plays in that. The symposium was first held in 2009 and again in March of 2010. It will continue into the future as developments continue forward in the health of mothers and infants. The Turkish Pediatric Infectious Disease Society endorses the symposium along with European Society of Pediatric Infectious Disease and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease.

The goal of the first Immunization Symposium was to increase knowledge of the neonate immune system in order to protect the health of the infant as early as possible and how immunizing mothers could play a role in this. It included classes about infant immunity, vaccine use in infancy, adolescent vaccine use, and immunizations during pregnancy. Neonatal response to maternal immunizations and potential for infection in newborns was also a topic of conversation. Individual vaccines were also discussed such as hepatitis, HPV, pneumococcal vaccines, rotavirus, influenza, HiB, TB, and the development of new vaccines.

The first Immunization Symposium was very focused on the basics of neonatal and maternal immunization and immunity. But it did not leave out the excitement of the future of immunizations and research in the field. New immunizations are being studied all the time. It is one of the noblest pursuits of medicine to prevent serious illnesses in childhood. But they require extensive testing for safety. Two new such vaccines were discussed in the November 2009 meeting. Unfortunately, infant death continues to be a big problem all over the world. It is something that could be decreased significantly with immunization of the mothers and more thorough childhood immunizations.

The Immunization Symposium included submissions about how vaccines are being used in this context the world over. In Vietnam, for instance, medical providers are working on eradicating tetanus from neonates and mothers. There was also wisdom and lessons learned from Taiwan where the effort was to immunize for Hepatitis B. In the coming years, the symposium will continue to improve itself and the hope in the world for an immunized population of mothers and their infants. The science marches on and the political and humanitarian reach continues to grow. In the future perhaps every child can enjoy the benefit of a healthier beginning.

Early Pregnancy Tests – You Need to Know

admin — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 18:46:55 +0000

If you think you might be pregnant, no doubt you want answers as soon as possible. This is reasonable. After all, your whole life as you know it might be about to change. You will need plenty of time to get everything in order if you are pregnant, and if you aren’t, you need to know that too. Your first instinct will be to run to the store and buy a home pregnancy test. Early pregnancy tests can give very accurate results in a short period of time and in the privacy of your own home, but you will need to wait for the right time to take the test in order to get the best possible results.

When you take early pregnancy tests at home, what you do is take a urine sample. The test checks for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, which is more commonly called HCG. When that hormone is being produced, it means a woman is pregnant. The reason the hormone is being produced is because the placenta makes this hormone only when an embryo has been implanted into the lining of the uterus. It takes time for the HCG levels to rise. Sometimes, when women are pregnant, they experience early symptoms of pregnancy, but they will still test negative if they take the test too early.

A false negative can lead to a lot of trouble for you and the other potential parent. After experience relief if you do not want to get pregnant now, your emotions will go on quite a roller coaster ride when you find out that you are in fact pregnant. Or, if you are trying to get pregnant and have a false negative test, your emotions will go the other way. You and your partner will be sad and might get discouraged. There’s no need to go through this as long as you wait the right amount of time to take the test. Even early pregnancy tests need to be taken at the right time.

There is no doubt that the waiting can be very hard, but it is better to wait at least a few days after you think you have missed a period. That is the time when the HCG levels will go up high enough for early pregnancy tests to get a good read and give you an accurate result. If you test before this and get an inaccurate result, you are not only wasting money, but also you will have a big shock later when the truth is finally known. If you have questions about when to get a pregnancy test or about other pregnancy symptoms, you should be sure to ask your doctor as soon as possible.

Maternal Immunization to Prevent Neonatal Infections

admin — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:15:46 +0000

During the first month of life, an infant is very susceptible to infection and disease because the immune system is not yet fully developed. It is questionable how effective vaccines are at this time. Most vaccines are given after a month has passed and the immune system is prepared to use a vaccine effectively. But during that first month of life, an infant may be in danger of contracting a serious disease. The only protection available to the neonatal child is protection from the mother. Immunizing pregnant women who have not previously been vaccinated provides a way to protect the infant during that sensitive time.

Immunoglobulin G is the only antibody, and one of the few substances that can pass through the placenta. The placenta is a sack surrounding the fetus that protects it from potential toxins in the mother’s environment. It lets through the nourishment that the fetus needs and also lets through other important elements to the fetus’s health including antibodies. Any antibodies that the mother has will be passed to the fetus. Even vaccination during pregnancy ensures that these antibodies are passed to the fetus. Immunizing pregnant women is one of the last efforts available to protect the infant in the first month of life.

Extensive studies have been done on immunizing pregnant women with tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. These successfully passed through the placenta and protected the infants at birth and beyond. Antibodies are also present in breast milk and can provide protection longer than the neonatal period. Infants can be protected by breast milk up to six months after birth. However, passive immunity does not last forever and the infants must be immunized and acquire their own antibodies eventually. A fully developed immune system is achieved usually a month after birth and vaccines can be given throughout childhood to help build up immunity without suffering the illness itself.

Passive immunity achieved by immunizing pregnant women can also protect against bacterial infections. Bacterial infections can be quick and deadly for neonates. A mother that has successfully overcome bacterial infections carries antibodies against them and when exposure happens during the first month of life, the infant is protected by passive immunity. Breast milk also aids in this process during the first three to six months of life. After that period, the infant will begin to develop immunity on its own as it is exposed to different bacteria. At an older age, the infant can handle the exposure far better than right after birth.

History of Maternal Immunization

admin — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 21:55:18 +0000

Many take immunization for granted today. It was not very long ago that most children suffered through several mandatory illnesses in their very early years. Some did not make it others were left marked for the rest of their lives. Infants have underdeveloped immune systems for about a month after birth which leaves them open to all kinds of infection. Research has shown that vaccinated mothers pass this immunity to their immune compromised infants. Immunization history shows that this protects them until their systems are ready to start acquiring immunity on their own. An immunized mother makes for a healthier infant.

This so called passive immunity was recognized by Mithradates VI of Pontus who attempted to sure himself up against poison by taking a daily dose of poison that was just less than would kill him. He was trying to build up immunity to it and he was successful. His mixture of universal antidote was used throughout the Renaissance era. Improvements were made over the immunization history years and the new mixture called, Theriacum Andromachi was used into the 1800s. In 1888, the diphtheria toxin was isolated. In 1890, an antitoxin was discovered for diphtheria and tetanus. This led to the first success of the use of a substance intended to create immunity.

As the years passed other diseases were isolated and vaccines created successfully. In 1995, an Ebola outbreak prompted an experiment where the blood of recovering patients was injected into eight other patients in an attempt to prevent or treat the disease. This blood contained Ebola antibodies and only one of the eight patients died in comparison to a usually 80% mortality rate. Immunization history does not include much about how vaccinated mothers can protect their infants. It is a newer research, but one that holds great promise.

Passive immunity that is artificial is accomplished by vaccine. Natural passive immunity describes what a mother passes on to her infant through the placenta during gestation or through breast milk as a neonate. Immunization history of maternal immunization is mostly carried out in areas where there are mothers who have been immunized and others who have not. So that the children studied live under similar conditions. Much of the power behind these studies are for the benefit of countries where immunizations are not standard and the children still suffer from many childhood illnesses that have been eradicated in other places.