After the child has been vaccinated, parents have a lot of questions about what restrictions exist in the first few days after this procedure.
Most often they are concerned about whether it is possible to bathe the child after the DTP vaccination. The body reacts particularly painfully to the introduction of this vaccine. Naturally, various factors, including water procedures, affect the baby’s well-being.
Reasons for banning swimming
Bathing poses the risk that an infection or virus may enter the injection site, which can affect your health. However, doctors prohibit water procedures for another reason. Changes such as redness, fever and irritation may occur as a result of taking a bath.
In addition, the immune system is weakened after the vaccine has been administered. Antibodies are actively produced in the body. While swimming, there is a risk of hypothermia, which can lead to a cold and the onset of an inflammatory process.
After immunization, the following body reactions are often observed:
- hyperthermia (thermometer readings exceed 39 degrees Celsius), reducing the temperature with antipyretic drugs turns out to be problematic;
- chills;
- runny nose;
- headache;
- drowsiness;
- irritability;
- tearfulness;
- weakness;
- apathy;
- gagging;
- diarrhea;
- cough;
- convulsions;
- sore throat.
Temperature changes during bathing provoke the manifestation of these symptoms. Contact with water may cause an inflammatory process. The body's response to the vaccine intensifies. The situation is getting worse.
Why you can’t bathe your child after vaccinations. Opinions and prejudices
Experts recommend carrying out water procedures a day before the vaccine injection, and subsequent bathing only the next day or two days after the injection. The effect of such a ban is determined by the desire to protect the child’s weakened immunity from the effects of pathogenic environmental factors (damp, dirty water, bath temperature).
Symptoms of fever can be understood by the levels of moodiness and inattentiveness in children. If they do not correspond to normal values, then swimming and any other water procedures are strictly prohibited. This explains why you should never bathe a child if you are feeling unwell. If the baby is in normal condition, good appetite and mood, he is allowed to bathe almost immediately after vaccination, there are no restrictions.
Moms' opinions
One of the most common questions from mothers is: “Is it possible to get the DTP vaccine wet?”
Mothers often confuse vaccinations against whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus and Mantoux, so they mistakenly believe that under no circumstances should the DTP vaccine be wetted either. This is a common myth. After administering the drug, you can make a water compress without fear of a negative reaction from the body. The main problem after vaccination is not the contact of the injection site with water, but a weakened body system that is unable to resist external factors for some time, which can subsequently lead to serious illnesses.
Doctors' opinion
Pediatricians believe that after the vaccine has been administered, it is indeed worthwhile to refrain from washing for about 48 hours, but they also believe that getting moisture into the area of the skin where the vaccine composition was injected does not affect immunity. This point of view is explained as follows: the immune system of children after any type of vaccination is weak, antibodies are produced at tremendous speed, which is why the risk of any disease increases significantly. The immune system, unable to provide adequate resistance, is exposed to external infection, and illness occurs. Doctors also insist that vaccination during pregnancy does more harm than good.
Doctors recommend limiting bathing procedures for a newborn baby for up to two days to give his body time to recover.
When is swimming allowed?
If the baby eats with appetite, plays and there is no body reaction to the vaccine, he can be bathed on the first day after immunization.
The main thing is to follow a number of rules:
- Use boiled water. Do not add herbal infusions.
- Maintain the water temperature within 36-39 degrees Celsius.
- Children are only allowed to swim for a short time. 5-10 minutes is enough.
- The grafting site may only be moistened with water, but not rubbed with a sponge.
- After leaving the bath, you should immediately dry the child with a towel and dress him, avoiding hypothermia.
- You need to make sure that there are no drafts in the room.
By complying with these requirements, negative consequences after DPT will not arise. Bathing is allowed immediately after the vaccine is administered if there are no changes in the baby’s well-being.
Considering that the reaction to the vaccine often appears on the second day, it is still recommended to postpone bathing.
What to do if the vaccination site gets wet
If parents accidentally wet the DTP vaccine while swimming or under other circumstances, do not be alarmed. In most cases, nothing bad will happen and nothing needs to be done. All actions in this case consist only of constant inspection of the vaccination site and monitoring the general condition of the child.
You should seek medical help only if your body temperature has increased, your condition has worsened, signs indicating the development of infection and viral diseases have appeared, or if the vaccine injection site suddenly turns red, becomes swollen, and is painful to touch.
After DPT you can buy a baby, but pediatricians insist that bathing should be avoided on the first day. For hygiene procedures, you can use wet wipes, and resort to bathing only in extreme cases, when there is no other way to treat the skin after changing the diaper.
If you get wet: possible consequences
Doctors warn parents not to get the injection site wet on the first day. Contact with water increases the risk of a local reaction in the body.
If you wet the affected area, the following changes are observed at the grafting site:
- redness;
- swelling;
- swelling;
- pain;
- rashes;
- compaction formation;
- lameness.
There are pathogenic microorganisms in the water that provoke the onset of the inflammatory process. When they penetrate an open wound, suppuration begins.
Surgery will be required to eliminate side effects. Local medications are ineffective when pus forms at the injection site.
Rules of conduct after revaccination
DTP is not given for life; revaccination is necessary after several years: in first or second grade, seventh or eighth grade, and every ten years after leaving school.
Repeated vaccinations have a cumulative effect, so they are more difficult to tolerate; you must follow the same rules: do not wet the injection site for a while, do not rub, do not bathe in a hot bath.
The injection site is wet: what to do
You cannot get the DTP vaccine wet, but if this happens, there is no need to panic. You need to blot the injection site with a towel. Rubbing it is strictly prohibited. Such actions will worsen the situation.
If a local reaction occurs, the affected area is treated with Troxevasin ointment.
The drug helps improve blood circulation and the seal begins to dissolve. The pain syndrome is relieved, itching and inflammation are eliminated.
Compresses cannot be applied to the injection site. It is also prohibited to use antiseptics and traditional medicine. All actions are coordinated with the doctor. Self-medication is unacceptable.
When can you bathe your child after DTP vaccination?
Because Maintaining hygiene is the most important measure; it is important to find out when you are allowed to swim after vaccination without the risk of harming the child’s health. You can bathe your child after a DTP vaccination in a couple of days. It is especially important to avoid water procedures on the first day.
You should not wash after DPT if the injection has caused a reaction such as increased body temperature, deterioration in general condition, or rapid development of swelling at the site of vaccine administration. In this case, the issue of bathing should be discussed with your doctor on an individual basis.
If all these signs are absent and the child tolerated the vaccine well, you can administer the DPT vaccine after 2-3 days.
The vaccine site cannot be steamed; this means that bathing is best done in the shower or limited to local washing of the genitals. You can leave the rest of your body without water for a day to reduce the risks of infectious and viral diseases.
Consequences of bathing: when you need a doctor's help
A reaction to the DPT vaccine is normal. Such changes do not cause concern. This is the body's immune response, in which the synthesis of antibodies begins and the creation of a protective barrier to infections. Feeling worse after swimming is not a reason to see a doctor.
There are a number of warning signs that occur as a result of contact with water.
If you experience the following symptoms, you should not hesitate to contact a medical facility:
- the child cries continuously for three hours;
- the injection site is very swollen, a red spot or lump in diameter exceeds 8 centimeters;
- a purulent abscess appeared in the injection area;
- after each meal, vomiting is noted;
- the temperature exceeds 39 degrees Celsius and does not subside even with the use of antipyretics;
- the skin becomes bluish or yellow;
- there is a temporary cessation of breathing;
- loss of consciousness occurs;
- a severe form of allergy appears (anaphylactic shock, Quincke's edema);
- convulsions appear in the absence of hyperthermia.
If these symptoms occur, parents should consult a doctor and tell them about the actions taken during the post-vaccination period. Not only bathing can lead to the development of dangerous complications. This information will help the pediatrician assess the situation and select treatment tactics.
How is it transferred
Each body reacts to the drug differently, but there are several common symptoms and ways to relieve them. In this case, it is necessary to distinguish an adverse reaction from a complication.
Table - Symptoms after DTP
| Symptom | Reaction assessment | What to do |
| Fever, moodiness and tired appearance | Normal | This symptom only shows that the vaccine is working, there is no reason to worry, and there is no need to take action. |
| Vomiting, abdominal upset, diarrhea | Average | Several hours have passed since the vaccination - no need to worry. If two or three days have passed, you need to see a doctor; the symptom is probably associated with an acute respiratory infection. |
| Runny nose and cough | Average | Treatment required. |
| Pain at the injection site | Normal | You should avoid getting wet; after a few hours the pain will disappear. |
| Rash | Medium/Heavy | If the rash is minor, it can be treated with Troxevasin. Sometimes it can mean an allergic reaction, this is not normal, so you need to go to the hospital immediately. |
| Spasm | Heavy | Not a very typical reaction, the nervous system may have been damaged, consult a doctor immediately. |
Komarovsky about DTP vaccination
Dr. Komarovsky in one of his programs advocated for the DTP vaccine. He sees many advantages in vaccination, since with the help of one drug one can prevent several diseases at once.
This reduces the number of visits to the clinic, the number of injections and the risk of infection, without increasing the possibility of complications and without interfering with the quality of the immunity produced.
The doctor states: “Before the vaccine was created, 20% of children suffered from diphtheria, which led to death. Thanks to mass administration of the drug, the risks have decreased significantly.” In support of DTP, Komarovsky cites statistics: “When contracting tetanus, even in the best clinic, 85% of people die. The only thing worse is rabies.”
The doctor illustrates the importance of developing a vaccine, but Komarovsky does not exclude the fact that the vaccine is difficult to tolerate, which is why some mothers are opposed to it. Regarding the frequency of DTP administration, Komarovsky says one thing - you should adhere to the national vaccination calendar.
