Biomaterial Database

Uptake and timing of immunisations in preterm and term infants. 1999

L McKechnie, and F Finlay

Bath & West Community NHS Trust.

Preterm infants are more at risk of complications from infectious disease and should be immunised as a matter of priority. This retrospective study followed the immunisations given to 110 premature infants and 220 control term infants admitted to the Neonatal Unit at the Royal United Hospital, Bath over a 12-month period. The overall immunisation uptake for infants admitted to the neonatal unit was 99.93, better than for the general population of the area. However, in both preterm and term infants there were considerable variations in the age at which each immunisation was given. Fewer of the preterm infants had their first three immunisations on time. The difference in timings between the two groups was statistically significant. Earlier immunisations were more often given on time than later ones. The greater the gestational age, the more likely that the infant would be immunised at the correct times. It is important to stress to parents the importance of immunisation for babies who are born prematurely or who have been unwell.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007115	Immunization Schedule	Schedule giving optimum times usually for primary and/or secondary immunization.	Immunization Schedules,Schedule, Immunization,Schedules, Immunization
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007234	Infant, Premature	A human infant born before 37 weeks of GESTATION.	Neonatal Prematurity,Premature Infants,Preterm Infants,Infant, Preterm,Infants, Premature,Infants, Preterm,Premature Infant,Prematurity, Neonatal,Preterm Infant
D007363	Intensive Care Units, Neonatal	Hospital units providing continuing surveillance and care to acutely ill newborn infants.	Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,Neonatal Intensive Care Units,Newborn Intensive Care Unit,Newborn Intensive Care Units,ICU, Neonatal,Neonatal ICU,Newborn ICU,Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICU),ICU, Newborn,ICUs, Neonatal,ICUs, Newborn,Neonatal ICUs,Newborn ICUs
D010290	Parents	Persons functioning as natural, adoptive, or substitute parents. The heading includes the concept of parenthood as well as preparation for becoming a parent.	Step-Parents,Parental Age,Parenthood Status,Stepparent,Age, Parental,Ages, Parental,Parent,Parental Ages,Status, Parenthood,Step Parents,Step-Parent,Stepparents
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004739	England	A part of Great Britain within the United Kingdom.
D005865	Gestational Age	The age of the conceptus, beginning from the time of FERTILIZATION. In clinical obstetrics, the gestational age is often estimated from the onset of the last MENSTRUATION which is about 2 weeks before OVULATION and fertilization. It is also estimated to begin from fertilization, estrus, coitus, or artificial insemination.	Embryologic Age,Fetal Maturity, Chronologic,Chronologic Fetal Maturity,Fetal Age,Maturity, Chronologic Fetal,Age, Embryologic,Age, Fetal,Age, Gestational,Ages, Embryologic,Ages, Fetal,Ages, Gestational,Embryologic Ages,Fetal Ages,Gestational Ages
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man