Longitudinal data gathered in the “Growing up in ” study shows mothers who attend prenatal education classes are significantly more likely not to delay their infants’ first-year immunizations than were those who didn’t take the classes, Dr. Cameron Grant said at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Washington, May 2013.
The findings of his large prospective cohort study show that early engagement with a maternity clinician is important not only for mothers’ health, but for babies’ as well, said Dr. Grant of . Dr Grant is Associate Director of the "Growing Up in ," study, an Associate Investigator for Gravida, and a member of the SHIVERS influenza surveillance team.
The data collected covers a wide variety of demographics and cultures but once adjusted for maternal ethnicity, age, and household income, the study showed only pregnancy education class attendance and specific ‘Well-Child’ visits with a GP remained significantly associated with timely immunizations.
"I really do think the health care system has a big role on whether immunization occurs or not," Dr. Grant said. "Moms (sic, USA website) from the poorest households had the highest intention to immunize their children, but the lowest actual immunization timeliness. I think that points to a number of barriers in health care that we should work hard to overcome, rather than just telling women it’s all up to them to get themselves organized and make sure it happens. We just have to make this more available."
Reported in the Ob.Gen. News Digital Network and Pediatric News, USA