Parents often give their infants acetaminophen (Tylenol) after immunizations and booster shots. As it turns out, this may do more harm than good. The medication may actually weaken infants’ immune systems, according to research from the Czech Republic.

Acetaminophen is sometimes given to infants and small children following shots to prevent fever, a common reaction to vaccinations. This study examined the effects of acetaminophen on immune response after initial and booster vaccinations.

Two hundred twenty-six children from 10 different medical centers were randomly selected to receive three doses every six to eight hours for 24 hours after immunizations. Just 42 percent of these children experienced fevers (100.4 degrees F or above), compared to 66 percent of a control group of 233.

When it was time for booster shots, parents were asked to repeat the process. There was a lower incidence of fever in both groups—36 percent for those who took acetaminophen and 58 percent for those who did not.

Children who received acetaminophen , however, had fewer antibodies, indicating more susceptibility to disease. In the studied children, pneumonia, hepatitis B, whooping cough, polio, diphtheria and tetanus antibodies were fewer following vaccinations and boosters with acetaminophen use.

Antibodies are proteins in the immune system (immunoglobulins) that bind to harmful pathogens (viruses) to keep them away from healthy white blood cells. Without these antibodies, the body’s immune system is more susceptible to disease.

When vaccines fail to protect against diseases, the health of the entire community is at stake because viruses are more easily spread.

“This point has implications, especially for Haemophilus influenzae, for which higher and sustained antibody concentrations are needed (to reduce transmission),” says Dr. Robert T Chen of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, “…and for pertussis, the bacterial vaccine-preventable disease that is least controlled.”

Although they’re not entirely sure why children taking acetaminophen had fewer antibodies, doctors plan to explore the issue further. They stress the importance of this information, and advise against unnecessary acetaminophen use.

“(A)dministration of antipyretic drugs at the time of vaccination should nevertheless no longer be routinely recommended without careful weighing of the expected benefits and risks,” wrote lead author Dr. Roman Pryula of the University of Defense in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.

The study appears in this month’s online issue of The Lancet.

While obesity prevention has long been the focus of figure-conscious adults, a new Harvard Medical School study suggests that parents should also monitor the weight of their infant children. The study, released Monday and published in the April issue of Pediatrics, found that rapid weight gain during the first six months of life may put children at risk for obesity by the age of three.

"At first it may seem implausible that weight gain over just a few months early in infancy could have long-term health consequences, but it makes sense because so much of human development takes place during that period - and even before birth," says Matthew Gillman, M.D., S.M., the study’s senior author, and director of the Harvard Medical School Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention’s Obesity Prevention Program.

Researchers documented the weights of 559 infants at birth, at six months and at three years of age. They then studied the correlation between the children’s initial weight gains during the first six months of life and the children’s weights at age three. The study showed that the children heaviest at birth and those who gained the most weight by six months together were 40 percent more likely to be obese by their third year.

"There is increasing evidence that rapid changes in weight during infancy increase children's risk of later obesity," says the study’s lead author, Elsie Taveras, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor in the Harvard Medical School Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention and co-director of the One Step Ahead clinic, a pediatric overweight prevention program at Children's Hospital Boston. "The mounting evidence suggests that infancy may be a critical period during which to prevent childhood obesity and its related consequences.”

According to a study released in the April 2007 issue of Acta Paediactrica, roughly 20 percent of four year-olds were considered overweight or obese in 2002, compared to just 10 percent in 1982. With such a startling rise in childhood obesity, proper nutrition must be emphasized at an increasingly younger age.

“[The Harvard Medical School study] data clearly shows how the earliest interventions might actually have very long-term benefits," Taveras says.

To learn more about infant and toddler health, join Healia’s Infant and Toddler Health Community Support Group. For more information about obesity, visit the Healia Obesity/Overweight Health Guide.


Sources: HarvardScience Medicine&Health, “Infant weight gain linked to childhood obesity: Early interventions may have long-term benefits.” Web release, 3/30/2009. By: David Cameron, Harvard Medical School. (http://www.harvardscience.harvard.edu/medicine-health/articles/infant-weight-gain-linked-childhood-obesity)

    “Weight Status in the First 6 Months of Life and Obesity at 3 Years of Age.” Elsie M. Taveras, Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman, Mandy B. Belfort, Ken P. Kleinman, Emily Oken, and Matthew W. Gillman. Pediatrics 2009; 123: 1177-1183.  (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/current.shtml)



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Caesarian section (C-section) deliveries of full-term babies performed before 39 weeks gestation pose health risks, a new study shows. While 37 weeks gestation is considered full-term, the study provides evidence that babies born by C-section at 37 or 38 weeks face an increased risk of complications including breathing problems, infections, and low blood sugar and are more likely to need intensive care. Due dates are set at 40 weeks gestation.

While the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guidelines state that C-sections are safest after 39 weeks of gestation, the operation is commonly performed electively at 37 or 38 weeks. At this stage, mothers may grow tired of being pregnant and want an early C-section, or they may wish to avoid scheduling conflicts and ensure that their personal doctor is able to perform the surgery.

The study, published in Thursday’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, examined a C-section registry from 19 academic medical centers to determine how many C-sections were being performed before 39 weeks and the consequences of such early deliveries. The researchers focused on 13,258 women who had a single child by planned Caesarian after having previously given birth by C-section. They excluded cases where C-section was performed because of medical necessity.

The results showed that more than one-third of Caesarians were performed before the fetus had reached 39 weeks gestation. While 8 percent of babies delivered at 39 weeks had some type of complication, 15 percent of babies delivered by C-section at 37 weeks had complications, meaning these babies were almost twice as likely to experience health problems have as babies delivered at 39 weeks. Babies delivered at 38 weeks were 50 percent more likely to experience complications.

The biggest difference was in breathing problems, with babies born at 37 weeks having four times the rate of these problems compared to 39-week babies. In general, babies born by C-section have a higher risk of breathing difficulties than those born vaginally because they miss out on the labor process that helps clear the lungs of fluid.

The risk of complications also increased for births after 41 weeks, leaving a relatively narrow two-week period surrounding the due date as the optimal time to have a C-section. The study did not include the risk of fetal death that might occur while delaying a C-section until week 39, a figure estimated to be 1 in 1000.

The rate of Caesarian sections in the United States has climbed to 31 percent of all births, an all-time high. Several factors have contributed to the rise including older mothers, higher numbers of multiple births, maternal preference, and the risks of having a vaginal birth after a previous C-section.

If you are considering having an elective C-section, the study suggests that the safest time to schedule the procedure is anytime between 39 weeks, 0 days gestation and 40 weeks, 6 days gestation. If you have been counseled to have a C-section earlier than 39 weeks due to complications such as gestational diabetes, the risk of waiting until 39 weeks likely outweighs any benefits. However, if you are planning your C-section at 37 or 38 weeks for convenience, you may want to talk to your doctor about the costs and benefits of holding off until you reach 39 weeks gestation.

For more information on childbirth, join the Healia Health Community for Childbirth or ask the experts at Healia Health Communities.


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Today, the makers of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines warned that these products should not be given to children less than 4 years old. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, a trade association of manufacturers and distributors of OTC medicines and nutritional supplements, are voluntarily labeling OTC pediatric cough and cold medicines as not for use in children under 4 years old. They also recommended that parents do not use products with antihistamines to sedate or make a child sleepy.

Many pediatrician groups have called for the banning of OTC cough and cold medicines in children less than 6 years of age, claiming that there is insufficient evidence that they work in that age group and that these medicines are associated with thousands of safety problems. Previously, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that OTC cough and cold products not be used in infants and children under 2 years of age due to potential serious side effects. However, the FDA has not yet issued a statement about the use of such products in children older than 2 years.

During the upcoming cold season, parents should be careful to use pediatric cough and cold products exactly as labeled and only when necessary.  

Your peers and experts at Healia Communities can answer your questions about cold and flu.

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The La Leche League is sponsoring World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) from August 1 to August 7, 2008. During this week of observance and awareness, the La Leche League (LLL) calls for greater support for mothers in achieving the gold standard of breastfeeding exclusively for six months, and providing appropriate complementary foods with continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond.

The La Leche League’s mission is to help mothers worldwide breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.

Breastfeeding has many important physical and psychological advantages for both the baby and the mother. For infants, breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition, it is protective against infant illnesses and deaths, and it is easier to digest than formula. For mothers, breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, it burns extra calories and makes it easier to lose extra weight, and helps the mother bond with her baby.

For information about WBW events in your area, visit the La Leche League Events Calendar. For information and support about pregnancy and breastfeeding, you can ask questions and share your knowledge at Healia Communities.

World Breastfeeding Week La Leche League breastfeeding

July is International Group B Strep Awareness Month. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of life-threatening infections -- such as meningitis -- in newborn babies.

Fortunately, GBS is preventable. Prevention begins with awareness, and GBS International has been doing a great job on this front. If you're available and interested, they could use your help.

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