Delaying Baby’s Vaccines Is Sometimes Risky (Sometimes Not!) Says Study

You know there’s a recommended vaccine schedule, but did you ever wonder what would happen if you missed one of the recommended shots? Or if you delayed a shot? Well, one of the risks of getting them late is seizures. And a new study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics journal Pediatrics suggests the risk isn’t much — if you stay within baby’s first year or so.

After following 323,427 babies, researchers found that timing of receiving the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) and MMRV (measles-mumps-rubella-varicella) vaccines didn’t affect their seizure risk if the babies had them in their first 12 to 15 months. But if they put off the vaccine past 15 months, the rate of seizures associated with first-time vaccination gets higher. (This risk was higher with the MMRV vaccine than the MMR.) The seizures don’t necessarily happen right away; they can occur up to 10 days after the vaccination.

Something to keep in mind is that babies 38 to 92 days old are less likely to have seizures than older infants anyway. But this study may be one more reason to opt for on-time vaccinations.

Did you stick to the recommended vaccine schedule?

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.