Should you breastfeed your child after a vaccination shot?

If you are tempted to breastfeed and soothe your child after vaccination, read this.

By: Debjani Arora | | Updated: October 25, 2017 6:10 pm

Most paediatricians will tell you not to breastfeed your child right after a vaccination shot or at least for 30 minutes after taking the vaccination. This is a problem because the only way you can soothe a crying and irritable baby after a vaccination shot is by nursing the baby as suckling provides comfort and helps to keep the baby distracted from the pain. Here are eight ways to ease your baby s post-vaccination pains. Also Read - Here’s how Indian states are gearing up for mass vaccination against COVID-19

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I asked my paediatrician if it is necessary to not breastfeed the child after vaccination, to which he replied that this is a common practice which is good to follow. Now, breast milk has a lot of antigens that help boost a baby s immunity. Similarly, a vaccination is also given to boost immunity and fight viruses and bacteria and help build a child s immunity. The popular belief is that breastfeeding right after the vaccination can reduce the efficacy of the vaccine. However, there isn t any scientific basis for this reasoning. But as a precaution doctors advice not to breastfeed the baby for at least 30 minutes post vaccination. Read to know if it is normal to get a fever after a vaccination. Also Read - Importance of child vaccination: Keeping up with easy to go immunization schedule

I tried to learn more about this practice and realised that most doctors and experts around the world feel that there might not be any harm in feeding your baby after vaccination unless it is rotavirus vaccination. A study published in the journal The pediatric infectious disease journal showed that breastfeeding after taking the oral rotavirus vaccination could reduce the efficacy of the same. The study was conducted in the year 2010 where breast milk was collected from mothers from India, Vietnam, South Korea and the United States. The collected samples were tested for rotavirus-specific antibodies and its neutralising effect on three stains of the vaccination. It was seen that breast milk from Indian mothers had the highest antigens and neutralising effects on all the three strains of rotavirus. Probably this explains the lower immunogenicity and efficacy of rotavirus vaccines in developing countries. This neutralizing activity in breast milk consumed by the infants at the time of immunization could effectively reduce the potency of the vaccine In Indian babies. Here is why you should not skip optional vaccinations.

So, it is better not to breastfeed your child after a rotavirus vaccination. However, to be on the safer side it is better to give breastfeeding a miss for at least 30 minutes post vaccination.

Reference:

1: Moon SS, Wang Y, Shane AL, Nguyen T, Ray P, Dennehy P, Baek LJ, Parashar U,Glass RI, Jiang B. Inhibitory effect of breast milk on infectivity of live oral rotavirus vaccines. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2010 Oct;29(10):919-23. doi:10.1097/INF.0b013e3181e232ea. PubMed PMID: 20442687; PubMed Central PMCID:PMC3704726.

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Published : October 25, 2017 6:10 pm | Updated:October 25, 2017 6:10 pm

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