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January 20, 2025

Is Your Baby Refusing Feed after Vaccination?

Is Your Baby Refusing Feed after Vaccination?

Is you baby also refusing feed after vaccination? Don’t worry. This is very common. Ismein koi tension leni ki baat nahi hai. Here are a few reasons why this happens and a few tips to comfort your child when it does happen.

1. Mild Fever or Discomfort

  • Fever- Yeh ek common side effect hai after vaccinations, especially with vaccines like the DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) or the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. A good number of children suffer from fever after vaccination. Isi mild fever ki vajha se babies feel discomfort and feed less than usual.
  • What You Can Do: Apke paediatrician ke prescribed medicines, ample rest and care se children feel better. Offering frequent, smaller feeds, instead of the usual larger meals might also help.

2. Pain at the Injection Site

  • Soreness ya pain at the injection site bhi ek common factor hai in causing discomfort to the child. Kabhi kabhi unknowingly we hold babies aisi positions mein jo vaccination ki vajha se painful ya uncomfortable ho, including their regular feeding position.
  • What You Can Do: Change your baby's feeding position to ensure the sore area is not pressed. Cool, damp cloth ki help bhi le skte ho to reduce pain and soreness at the injection site, as recommended by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP)

3. Sleepiness and Fatigue

  • Studies show that most of the babies experience fatigue after certain vaccinations​. Vaccines cause drowsiness and usse babies sleepy aur fatigued rehte hai and generally not very interested in feeding.

  • What You Can Do: Baby ko ample rest lene do, lekin jb bhi vo jaag rhe ho keep trying to hydrate ya feed them.

4. Loss of Appetite

  • Vaccines se bhut baar mild gastrointestinal discomfort, layman terms mein gas, ho jaata hai, specially rotavirus or pneumococcal vaccines se. Dheere dheere theek bhi ho jaata hai lekin, isiliye no need to worry.
  • What You Can Do: Small amounts mein feed dete raho, even if baby doesn’t feed zyada, small amounts are still okay, better than nothing at all. Staying hydrated is important during this period, so ensure the child is still taking in some fluids

But of course, if your baby refuses to feed for more than 24 hours, develops a high fever (above 104 degrees), continuously ro rha hai ya vomit karta hai toh take them to their doctor immediately. Otherwise, refusal to feed is normal after vaccination and there is nothing to worry about.

Sources-

  1. IAP
  2. WHO
  3. CDC