Family Birth Center

Childhood Immunizations

You may think that childhood illnesses, such as measles, mumps and whooping cough, are not serious threats to your children. Or that you don't need to worry about immunizing your children until they start school. Think again! Every year in Michigan, children are permanently disabled or even die because of diseases that can be prevented with immunizations. Childhood diseases are dangerous and have serious results.

• Measles cause a rash and high fever. The disease can also cause pneumonia, deafness, brain damage or death.
• Rubella, or German Measles, is a mild illness for children. But a pregnant woman who gets it may lose her baby or give birth to a child who is deaf or has developmental disabilities.
• Polio starts with fever and muscle pain. Many people who get it will be permanently paralyzed (unable to move their arms or legs). There is no cure for polio.
• Diphtheria kills one of every ten people who get it. The disease makes it hard or impossible to swallow or breathe.
• Pertussis, or Whooping Cough, causes dangerous coughing spells that make breathing very difficult. It also can cause pneumonia, convulsions or swelling of the brain (encephalitis).
• Tetanus germs get into the body through a scratch, cut or deep wound. Inside the body, these germs grow and create a poison that attacks the nervous systems and causes painful muscle spasms. Tetanus kills four of ten people who get it.
• Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) causes meningitis brain inflammation) resulting in brain damage and sometimes death. Hib also can cause pneumonia and infections of the blood, joints, throat or heart.
• Hepatitis B is a serious disease that can lead to liver cancer, cirrhosis and death.

Protect Your Children
The good news is that immunizations prevent these dangerous diseases. That's right. You can protect your children with immunizations. All it takes is four visits to your doctor or health department before your child is two, and another visit before your child starts school. You can get free or low-cost immunizations through the local health department. Contact your doctor for information and guidance. In addition, Bronson Battle Creek offers the Hepatitis B vaccine to every newborn before the baby leaves the hospital.

Know When to Immunize
Your doctor or nurse will be happy to provide you with information that tells you the best time to take your child for their immunizations.

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