All parents try to carefully monitor the health of their child. And for this there are a huge number of different ways. One of them is the periodic vaccination of the baby.
About Mantoux
First of all, I want to talk about what the Mantoux test is. This is an injection that is done to determine if there is a tuberculosis infection in the body. A special allergen is introduced under the skin of the child, which shows a certain reaction. It is precisely thanks to this that it is possible to determine whether everything is in order with health. It is worth noting that this vaccination for children is required before reaching adulthood. And since Mantoux is not a vaccine, but a test, thanks to which the reaction of the child's body to the introduced tuberculin bacteria is studied, it is done even when any vaccination is contraindicated in the baby.
Preparation and procedure
How should a Mantoux vaccine be given? The norm is when the pediatrician watches the child first and concludes that he is healthy and ready for vaccination. If the student has certain problems, the sample should be postponed for some time. All operations with the baby should be done exclusively by a doctor. The patient should be in a sitting position during the procedure, an injection is made in the arm, in the forearm. Bacteria are introduced under the skin. A few days after the manipulation, the place where the injection was made is forbidden to wet, smear or stick with a plaster.
Body reaction
It is worth noting that the Mantoux vaccine is completely harmless. The norm is when no changes occur with the body: there should be no temperature, general malaise, as, for example, when vaccinating with DTP, when such symptoms can be observed. But the most important is the injection site. Depending on what it is, doctors make certain conclusions.
Injection site
After a certain time after the test (72 hours), the child should appear to the attending physician or specially trained nurse in order for the examination to be performed. So, if a Mantoux vaccine was given, the norm is when either the papule (“button”, “tubercle”) is absent at the injection site, or there is a small reaction no larger than 1 mm in size. If this area of the hand is slightly reddened, swollen and has become up to 5 mm in size, the reaction is considered doubtful, if more - positive. There are situations when the “button” grows to 15 mm, this is considered excessive, hyperergic influence.
About the consequences
If a child has a positive Mantoux reaction, parents should not panic. This fact is not yet 100% proof that the body is really affected by this disease. However, you still need to be more careful about the problem. It is better for the child not to contact with patients with tuberculosis, not to be in places of their large congestion. After the results obtained, if necessary, the baby with his parents goes to the TB doctor for treatment, because getting rid of the disease in the early stages is not so difficult.
Contraindications
Knowing what the Mantoux vaccine can be (the norm and deviations are indicated above), parents should also remember that not every child can be vaccinated. So, if there are skin rashes on the body, the baby is sick or has recently had a viral infection, and was also in quarantine, it can be vaccinated only after 30 days after full recovery. Also, you can not do this test along with other vaccinations.
Is vaccination necessary?
Each parent must understand that the Mantoux test is very important. The injection response can tell a lot. Thanks to her, it is possible to prevent or cure in the early stages of such a serious illness as tuberculosis. Therefore, it is advisable to vaccinate your baby every year in order to preserve his own health.