Question about 9 month immunizations

[mandye]

At 9 months Hailey gets a hemoglobin test, TB test and a lead test. How do these differ from "regular" immunizations? What kind of reaction can I expect, if any? Any advice?

mandy

[HGraceMom]

DD had a tough time with the lead test - it's a blood draw, not an immunization, so was a little more involved... But no after-effects once she stopped crying because there's nothing to react with her little body. I can't help with the others...

[MKH76]

Here in Alaska, there aren't any scheduled immunizations for the 9 month well child check, it's usually a catch up visit for anything you may have missed earlier. I'm not quite sure what is recommended down in the lower 48. (Our schedule is a little different up here).

The lead test and hemoglobin tests are blood draws. Usually just a prick on the finger and milking out a few drops. No reaction should occur. I wouldn't recommend a bandaid, since my DS would only try to eat it!! The TB test is a small needle inserted into the left forearm to make a little bubble about the size of a mosquito bite. You probably shouldn't scratch at it, but your child can bath normally and do all normal stuff following it. It needs to be "read" at the doctor's office in 48 - 72 hours. Basically just looked at to check for redness or growth of the bubble. I havent' seen any reactions from this. I do tell my patients not to try any new foods until the TB test is read in the office to make sure that any rash around the area doesn't get confused with a positive test.

Good luck!!

[mandye]

Thank you for the info. I didn't know the first two were blood draws, but I guess that would make sense.

mandy

[momma_boo]

>The lead test and hemoglobin tests are blood draws. Usually
>just a prick on the finger and milking out a few drops.

If you think your baby is at all at-risk for elevated lead, you might want to ask them to draw blood instead of just doing a prick. I think the test is more accurate when they draw a vial of blood for testing. Just something you might want to know. (My dd had elevated lead so I've read a lot about it. Basically, if the prick test comes back high, they end up having to do a blood draw to confirm it. Fortunately for us, the lab initially did a blood draw).

My DD has had blood drawn twice now. She basically screams the whole time but then is fine once it's over. (I don't blame her, I usually make a face and scowl the whole time when I'm getting blood drawn).