At eight weeks she had her first immunisations, which included both the triple jab and Hib with meningitis C. She also had the polio vaccine given to her orally. Jasmine cried lustily and took a great deal of calming afterwards. Within two hours her temperature rose quite significantly and she was given paediatric paracetamol for 36 hours.
Jasmine is a very sociable baby who smiles freely for everyone and enjoys sitting propped up or in her bouncing chair. She shows interest in all that is going on around her, and receives great pleasure in having a massage from her mum.
At nine weeks she had developed a more regular sleeping pattern, sleeping for at least one six-hour period at night. This increased to eight or nine hours each night by three months.
Jasmine's weight is still low. At three months she moved down to the bottom (0.4th) centile. She gains weight each week, but less than would normally be expected. But as she is alert, and in good health, professionals are simply monitoring her progress.
When she cries, Jasmine now has real tears and she calms to music familiar to her from the womb. She particularly responds to Pachelbel's 'canon' and anything by Sinead O'Connor.
Questions
1 What steps might Jasmine's health visitor take if her weight does not begin to increase?
2 Why do young babies enjoy massage so much?
3 What do the triple and Hib immunisations protect children against?
Answers to part two questions:
1 Slow weight gain can be due medically to sucking difficulties, poor absorption, intolerance to formula milk or illness. It can also be due socially to insufficient feeding, poor mother-infant relationship or poverty. Jasmine is breast-fed and sucks slowly and steadily. She is also very active when awake with her arms and legs constantly on the go. Her slow weight gain has been attributed to this.
2 Infants do not usually roll over from supine before four months, often later.
3 By three months infants usually show awareness of caring routines.
