How to soothe your baby during their first vaccination

Parents can ask the doctor to use anesthetic to reduce pain, comfort and breastfeed the baby, and use fever reducer if needed after completing the vaccination.

Cuddle and feed

Parents should hold the baby close and breastfeed, or give the baby a pacifier dipped in sugar water. This will help the baby feel comfortable, the sweetness and the sucking will also help reduce the pain of the injection. Usually, when the baby is soothed by feeding, the baby will stop crying even before the vaccination is over.

Some doctors and nurses prefer to have their baby lying on his or her back on the examination table. Parents should ask if the health care provider can administer the vaccination while the baby is in a crib or being held by the parent, to facilitate the vaccination.

Local anesthesia required

If your baby seems very sensitive to pain, you may want to ask your doctor about using a local anesthetic for the next injection. A local anesthetic may be applied to the skin an hour before the injection, as directed by your doctor.

When giving an injection, parents should avoid worrying, stay calm to reassure the child. The reason is that when you are worried, the baby will recognize your emotions and tend to worry similarly. During the injection, parents can distract the child by squeezing the hand, making funny faces, joking or telling stories, playing games or singing the child's favorite song.

A doctor vaccinates a newborn in Hanoi. Photo: Chile — Parents can give their children a sugar-soaked pacifier to suck on after an injection to comfort them. Photo: *Freepik*

Antipyretics

If your child has a fever or shows signs of discomfort in the hours or days after the injection, you can give him or her a dose of acetaminophen, a pain reliever and fever reducer. However, you should not give it to your child before the injection, as this is ineffective and can weaken the child's immune response.

Parents can consult a pediatrician when giving their child medication, following the dosage instructions based on the child's weight and symptoms. In addition, the family should massage the child's feet after the injection to reduce pain from the injection and post-vaccination reactions.

Track symptoms

When your child gets vaccinated, ask the nurse or doctor about side effects. Possible reactions include redness at the injection site, fever, fussiness or mild loss of appetite. However, parents should not be too worried, these are reactions that show that the child's immune system is working.

Serious side effects after vaccination are rare in infants. However, if the child cries a lot, continuously for more than three hours, or has a high fever above 40 degrees Celsius, convulsions, or facial swelling, the family should take the child to see a doctor immediately.

Chile (According to Parent )

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