Dlaczego należy szczepić noworodki przedwcześnie urodzone?

Since a few years in Poland the rates for preterm delivery is very stable and is about 6%. Preterm infants (22-37 weeks gestation) make medical as well as social-economical problem and there are at greater risk of increased morbidity from vaccine-preventable diseases. Hospitalization of these children and the costs of staying in hospital sometimes for 4 or 5 months are very high. But the problem does not finish at the time of discharge. The vaccination is still very controversial is some of them. VLBW and EL BW children discharged from neonatal intensive care unit are delayed in receipt routine immunizations. Although American Academy of Pediatrics Committee, Polish Neonatal Society, Polish Pediatric Society and Polish Vaccination Society have recommended that premature children should receive immunizations at the same chronological age as full-term children primary care physicians hesitant to do it. Many studies on DT Pa, PCV7, PCV13, PHiD-CV IPV and Hib shown that preterm infants tolerate most childhood vaccines as well as full-term infants. The data proved the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines. In order to avoid the delay in immunization in Neonatal and Intensive Care Department Warsaw Medical University we have started to vaccinate VLBW and EL BW in 2 month of age (if the baby is in stable condition) or a few days before discharge. Implementation the first vaccination during hospitalization in NICU increases the safety and allow for observation of adverse events as apnea or cardiac disturbances. We are sure that it is a good strategy for increasing the number of babies to whom the vaccines have been given, to decrease the family doctors and parents fear and allow realizing our calendar of vaccination in chronological age.