After vaccination, bumps in a child appear as lumps on the leg. The appearance of lumps becomes a reason to consult a doctor. The skin of children often reacts to compaction manipulations. Seals, the formation of a lump, swelling and redness at the injection site are normal reactions of the body to foreign antibodies. Vaccinations dissolve gradually. The doctor will advise what needs to be done to make the resorption process faster. It is possible to use dry heat - a heating pad will do.
The DPT vaccine protects the baby from diseases: whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus. Children often develop pain in the leg, which is regarded as a reaction to the administration of drugs. The introduction of vaccination has reduced the incidence of whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus.
Diphtheria is an infectious disease that affects the nasal and oral mucosa. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. As a result of inflammation of the mucous membranes, a person is unable to breathe and dies from suffocation. Diphtheria is dangerous due to complications and affects the child’s cardiovascular system and kidneys.
Whooping cough is one of a number of infectious diseases, transmitted through the air, causing inflammation in the respiratory system. The disease is expressed by bouts of severe coughing. The disease often affects infants in the first year of life.
Vaccination of children
Mud wounds caused by metal products containing rust can cause tetanus as a result of bacteria entering the wound. The disease affects adults and children.
There are two types of reactions of the child’s body to the administration of the drug:
- local;
- general.
Often a lump occurs when the hepatitis vaccine is administered after DTP. Such drugs provoke inflammatory reactions so that the body produces a good immune factor.
If the lump on the leg turns bright red, the child’s temperature rises, and the baby feels unwell, this means that inflammation appears at the injection site. After vaccination, an allergic reaction often develops.
A lump after vaccination is considered a serious complication. To exclude the presence of purulent contents in the soft tissues, it is advisable to conduct an ultrasound diagnosis.
Many children have a similar reaction. Signs of an inflammatory process appear more clearly on the child’s buttocks, and there is a high probability that the drug was administered subcutaneously. To avoid complications, children are vaccinated in the thigh; even newborn babies have well-developed muscles in the leg.
Consultation about vaccinations
Parents should inquire about the presence of side effects after vaccination. A temperature reaction may occur. If the temperature rises to high levels, the drugs Paracetamol, Nurofen or Nise are used. Vaccination can cause a temperature that needs to be reduced.
The lump at the DTP site resolves within 14 days. To reduce compaction at the site of DTP vaccination, Troxevasin ointment is prescribed, which is used to treat the bump. After DTP, redness is considered normal; there should be a slight reaction. If the child is not worried, there is no need to carry out urgent measures. During the process of resorption, the inflammatory process will go away on its own, and the redness will gradually decrease.
Pain at the DTP site may be moderate to severe. The factors depend on the state of the child’s immune system. If pain is noted, it is better to give the baby a painkiller, for example, analgin. It is not recommended to require the child to endure pain. It is permissible to put cold on the sore spot from the vaccination.
If the baby tries to scratch the injection site on the leg, you just need to bandage the limb. The bandage is simple gauze; there is no need to use dense types of bandages, preventing the thermal effect.
Pain after vaccination
If the pain does not stop for a long time, you need to consult a doctor.
Sometimes infants develop a cough as a response to DTP vaccination, mainly when chronic processes are present. Cough is the body’s response to antibodies from pertussis infection. The condition does not require additional medical prescriptions.
Reasons for the development of a lump at the injection site:
- local reaction to the administration of the substance;
- a post-vaccination reaction occurs due to the presence of active biological substances in the composition (tetanus and diphtheria toxoid);
- minor trauma at the injection site;
- the technique of administering the medicinal substance is violated;
- a hematoma occurs when administered subcutaneously, the vessels rupture.
What body reaction is considered normal?
According to statistical studies by doctors, every sixth vaccinated child experiences complications after DTP. The most common reaction to the vaccine is a slight hardening at the injection site, which is currently regarded as normal and does not need correction.
Since babies are injected into the outer thigh, the lump develops here. The leg after DTP vaccination may hurt for about 3-4 days, and then go away on its own and without consequences. An allergic reaction at the injection site usually occurs after the second vaccination. It is easy to prevent it if you start giving your child antihistamines 3 days before the vaccination.
Other reactions to the DTP vaccine include:
- a rise in body temperature to 380 C (if the temperature rises to 38.5-400 C, then you must immediately show the child to a doctor);
- the occurrence of catarrhal manifestations in the form of a runny nose and cough;
- short-term loss of appetite;
- weakness and lethargy for 1-2 days after the injection;
- changes in the digestive tract, in particular, diarrhea, colic, single vomiting.
Reasons for the appearance of bumps after an injection in children
What is popularly called a lump is actually an infiltrate. This is an accumulation of inflammatory cells and exudate in soft tissues. The reasons for their appearance can be pathological and physiological. Most often, the appearance of infiltration is influenced by:
- Properties of the drug . Some vaccines take a very long time to be absorbed. If they are administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously, a lump will appear at the injection site. This is normal. The drug needs time to be absorbed into the circulatory system. Until this happens, the infiltrate will remain in the tissues.
- Quick introduction . If the entire volume of the drug is administered quickly, it simply will not have time to enter the bloodstream immediately after administration. In this case, there may be tissue infiltration for several hours after the injection.
- Muscle tension during driving. When muscles are tense, the blood vessels in them are narrowed. Therefore, intramuscular injections must be done in a lying position with complete relaxation. Otherwise, the drug will take longer to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Insertion at the wrong depth . In this case, the drug may not get into the muscles, but into the fiber around the muscles. The adipose tissue of the cellular space has a much worse blood supply, so the drug will remain in it for a long time, forming a lump.
- Allergic reaction . This is one of the unfavorable options. The administered drugs are purified, but contain foreign antigens, therefore an allergic reaction is possible in response to their administration. Then the injection site becomes inflamed, itchy and swollen.
Bruise after DPT vaccination
DTP vaccination has several antigen carriers at once. When it is administered, adverse reactions occur frequently . Such reactions are called expected side effects. These include:
- Painless compaction that lasts up to a month;
- Increase in body temperature to 38°C;
- Symptoms of a viral disease for several days.
The occurrence of these manifestations does not pose a threat and is a variant of the norm. A bruise at the injection site occurs when the nurse damages a blood vessel with the needle . It is difficult to avoid this, since the vessels are not visible in the thickness of the muscle. An uncomplicated hematoma does not pose any threat to the child’s health. You should consult a doctor only if the hematoma begins to fester.
Photo 2. After vaccination, it is important to monitor the general condition of the child. Source: Flickr (Claudia Deza).
It is important! Some parents believe that due to the large number of side effects, DTP vaccination is best avoided. In fact, such a vaccination protects a child from whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus for 6-10 years. Any of these infections is fatal to the child, so the risk of side effects is justified. Due to the refusal of many parents to vaccinate their children, the incidence of these infectious diseases has increased several times.
What does post-vaccination swelling of the thigh or entire leg indicate?
This complication appears both at the injection site and throughout the baby’s leg into which the drug was injected. Severe swelling is an immune response to the vaccine entering the body, confirming that it has begun to work. How long the symptom will persist depends on several factors, including the correctness of the vaccination and the particular state of the child’s immune system.
Post-vaccination abscess at the injection site and the main methods of its treatment
The development of suppuration after DTP on the child’s body is indicated by the appearance of a tense compaction filled with purulent exudate. The pathological formation appears from the infiltrate, which became infected due to violation of the rules of care for the injection site. Inflammation is usually provoked by bacterial pathogenic microflora. It is accompanied by local pain, pronounced redness of the epithelium over the abscess and an increase in local temperature. The lump will not go away on its own. Therefore, if you suspect the formation of an abscess, you must definitely seek qualified help.
Signs of an abscess include:
- in the central part of the infiltrate, purulent softening of the epidermal tissue begins to appear, prone to expansion along the periphery;
- above the surface of the abscess, the skin becomes thin and dry, which often leads to the abscess breaking out and pus leaking out (a phenomenon typical for abscesses located superficially);
- the skin tissue over the abscess takes on a hyperemic appearance, swells greatly and becomes hot to the touch;
- the temperature rises to febrile values, that is, above 390 C;
- There is a sharp pain of a pulsating nature, which is why the baby constantly cries, sleeps and eats poorly.
Compaction after vaccination in the form of an abscess is a dangerous phenomenon. It can burst at any moment, and pus will be released into the subcutaneous tissue with the formation of phlegmon. To prevent this from happening, the abscess must be opened, the pus removed and the operated area washed with antiseptic solutions. This procedure must be performed by a doctor in the surgical department. After the wound is closed, the child is prescribed a course of antibiotic therapy to prevent recurrence of the infection.
How to help a child with complications from DTP
What can be done to eliminate compaction after DTP? To eliminate the undesirable effect after DPT vaccination, doctors recommend using the following options to help your baby:
- if there is a small seal, you need to massage, rubbing the sore spot;
- the development of infiltrate requires the application of special compresses to promote its resorption;
- a large lump should be smeared with ointments, which can be purchased at a pharmacy or made independently.
Before treating a bump and redness after a vaccine at home, you should consult a pediatrician. It is he who will advise the most effective treatment option in each specific case, taking into account the severity of the lump, its size and the individual characteristics of the immunized child’s body. If the lump is inflammatory in nature, it is strictly forbidden to treat it with alcohol compresses.
It is strictly contraindicated to give children an alcohol compress.
What to do if a child’s leg is swollen after DTP vaccination
DTP is an adsorbed pertussis-diphtheria-tetanus vaccine, which is given to every child from the first months of life. Despite the fact that vaccination reliably protects the baby from deadly diseases, some parents are more frightened by the prospect of encountering an adverse reaction to this drug.
Since the solution contains dead microbes of pathogens, the most common consequence of vaccination may be fever, redness or swelling after DTP vaccination. What to do if such symptoms occur, how long this condition will last, and whether you should worry, we will tell you further.
Possible adverse reactions to DTP vaccination
Since the first vaccination is usually given at three months of age, the injection site is chosen on the outer side of the thigh - there is less fatty tissue here, which means the drug is absorbed faster. That is why parents often turn to the pediatrician with complaints that the leg is swollen after DTP. However, slight swelling is a normal reaction of the child's body to the vaccine.
Subsequent injections are administered according to a special schedule: the first three times with an interval of 1.5-2 months, the fourth time – after a year. For older children and adults, the vaccine is given in the shoulder.
Other undesirable effects may include:
- lack of appetite;
- colic, diarrhea or vomiting;
- fever, weakness;
- cough and runny nose.
Typically, side effects of the injection are observed for 2-3 days. During this period, it is necessary to closely monitor the child’s health: during the day you should not wet or comb the injection site.
And if the temperature rises sharply to 38.5o or higher, you need to urgently consult a doctor! Severe diarrhea and vomiting should also not be ignored - immediately report these complications to your pediatrician.
Child's leg is swollen
If your child's leg is swollen after a DTP vaccination, do not rush to panic. An inflamed area with a diameter of up to 3 cm should not cause concern; on the contrary, such a reaction can be considered a good sign - the vaccine has begun to act, which means the child’s body acquires immunity. If all sanitary standards were observed during the procedure, the swelling will soon subside on its own.
Lump (seal) at the injection site
Sometimes a painful lump appears at the injection site, the formation of which is caused by infiltration. It can accumulate for up to two weeks, and is also considered a natural reaction to the administration of the drug. Small lumps after vaccination (about 8 cm) are normal. An iodine mesh will help reduce the accumulation of cells, blood and lymph, as well as reduce pain.
Redness, itching
If the vaccination site turns red, then an allergic reaction to the vaccine is occurring. There is no need to worry; after a few days the redness will subside on its own. To alleviate the condition, you can use anti-inflammatory ointment.
Itching and redness most often appear after the second or third vaccination, while such a reaction is less typical for the first procedure.
After consultation with a pediatrician, the child can be offered antihistamines - Zyrtec, Fenistil.
What to do to eliminate the side effects of the injection
There are a number of methods to combat the unpleasant consequences of vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. Possible treatment may include folk remedies, medications (ointments, gels, drops, antipyretics), massage.
Drug therapy
When the temperature rises to 38.5o, antipyretics are given. For a small child, Nurofen or Panadol syrups are best suited. Medicines can be given from 3 months, they have a pleasant taste and last a long time. Rectal suppositories with paracetamol also help well.
Spasatel and Traumeel ointments effectively deal with lumps and lumps; they are applied before bedtime. Draw an iodine grid on your baby's skin to help relieve pain.
To improve blood circulation, Troxerutin gel is suitable; the drug is applied with light massage movements. Heparin ointment will help remove swelling.
Itching, swelling and redness are effectively relieved by Fenistil drops or gel. The active ingredient of the drug, dimethindene maleate, has antihistamine properties. Zyrtec drops have a similar effect. They are prescribed to children from 2 years of age.
Before using any medicine, be sure to consult your pediatrician. Dosages are selected strictly individually, self-medication is unacceptable!
Traditional methods
In addition to medications, traditional methods will help reduce the unpleasant consequences of vaccination, among which the most popular is a compress after DPT.
Under no circumstances should you use alcohol or alcohol-containing preparations as a compress! Also avoid using cling film and other materials that can create a greenhouse effect and, conversely, worsen the condition.
- Natural materials are best. A cotton cloth is soaked in a soda solution and applied to the inflamed area of the skin. Leave until completely dry. To prepare the solution, 1 tsp. soda is diluted in a glass of warm water.
- For babies, a fresh cabbage leaf is applied to the leg. It reduces the inflammatory process and relieves swelling. The leaf should be warm, so the healing properties will appear faster. If the cabbage has been in the refrigerator for a long time, let it warm up first.
- A honey compress after DPT has proven itself well. Add egg yolk and a few drops of olive oil to slightly warmed honey. The resulting composition is mixed, wrapped in cotton cloth and applied to the sore spot. The top of the compress can be covered with paper.
Massage will help to avoid stagnation; light hand movements begin immediately after the injection. This improves blood circulation, preventing the accumulation of infiltrate.
Who should not get the DPT vaccine?
Despite the obvious benefits of DPT vaccination, there are a number of contraindications to its use.
Doctors do not recommend an injection if:
- the baby was born prematurely and spent some time in an oxygen pressure chamber;
- the child has recently suffered an illness and has not had time to restore immunity;
- the baby is currently suffering from acute respiratory infections;
- any of the parents is intolerant to this vaccine.
Depending on the contraindications, a decision is made to postpone the vaccination date or replace DTP with another drug. Among analogues, the most common are the French Infanrix and the new acellular vaccine Pentaxim.
Pentaxim, in addition to the triad - whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus - protects against polio and hemophilus influenzae infection. Infanrix, in turn, is easier to tolerate, because practically does not cause side effects. However, remember that this drug requires special storage conditions at a certain temperature, so it makes sense to purchase it immediately before vaccination.
Source: https://oteki.info/u-detej/posle-privivki-akds
Recently, we are increasingly faced with those childhood infections that we have not thought about for more than twenty years. This became possible due to the reluctance of many parents to vaccinate their children.
Often this reluctance is associated with myths about numerous complications after vaccination. However, in the vast majority of cases, such information is completely untrue.
Many post-vaccination reactions are acceptable and do not require special treatment.
I am the mother of a three year old. We provide all age-required vaccinations without fail. Things don’t always go smoothly, and reactions to vaccination are different every time. Therefore, I want to talk about my experience of getting the vaccine into my arm. I hope that my case will tell young mothers what to do if their child’s arm hurts after vaccination.
My child’s arm hurts after vaccination, is this normal?
If, after a vaccination carried out in a medical institution in compliance with all conditions, slight pain is felt, and there is also redness, swelling or thickening at the injection site, then this is considered acceptable. The listed symptoms are a consequence of a specific tissue reaction to the administered vaccines. We will analyze the possible consequences of vaccination in more detail after we remember what vaccines are given in the arm.
In the maternity ward, on days 3-5, you are vaccinated against tuberculosis with the BCG vaccine. The injection site is the left shoulder at the border of the upper and middle third.
DPT vaccinations for the prevention of polio, hemophilus influenzae, hepatitis type B, measles, rubella, and mumps have recently been recommended in the thigh. It is believed that in young children this is the optimal place for such manipulations.
Subsequent vaccinations in the arm will be given after the age of two.
What should you do if your child’s arm hurts after vaccination?
Parental tactics in the event of pain should be determined by the severity of pain. There are often difficulties with this, especially if the child does not yet speak.
The pain threshold for all children is different, and everyone reacts to pain in their own way, and the main thing here is not to panic.
If there is no significant swelling or redness at the injection site, and pain appears or intensifies with pressure, then there is nothing to worry about.
Try to avoid certain positions and games that could cause injury to the injection site. Under no circumstances should you warm the injection site or apply any compresses.
It is also not recommended to use tight clothing or items made of synthetic fabrics that do not allow air to pass through well. If the pain does not intensify, and the child is distracted by games and sleeps peacefully, then just watch.
In most cases, the pain goes away on its own within a few days.
After vaccination, the child’s arm hurts and a bruise appears
When you find a bruise at the injection site, you should also resort to wait-and-see tactics. Such manifestations are a consequence of damage to small vessels during vaccination.
If the size of the bruise does not increase, there is no significant swelling and sharp pain, then in such cases no help is required. This area should not be rubbed, warmed or cold applied to it.
On the first day, it is advisable to provide rest to the hand and not to involve the child in too active games. The bruise will resolve on its own without your help.
After vaccination, the child’s arm hurts and there is redness
The appearance of redness at the injection site after vaccination is possible and acceptable. In official vaccine instructions, redness is classified as a common post-vaccination reaction.
This symptom usually develops in the first two days and does not require specific treatment. In the first 1-2 days, try not to get your hand wet. Also, do not apply anything to the area of redness. As in the case of a hematoma, try to protect your hand from mechanical damage.
Clothing in contact with the injection site should be made of natural fabrics.
After vaccination, the child’s arm hurts and there is swelling
Swelling is a common post-vaccination symptom. Usually the swelling does not exceed 5 cm in diameter and appears in the first 24-48 hours. The recommendations in this case are standard: avoid mechanical impact, do not heat, do not rub, do not apply anything, do not wet the first day. The swelling should disappear on its own within 4-5 days.
After vaccination, the child’s arm hurts and there is a lump
If, after receiving the vaccine in your baby’s arm, a small lump appears at the injection site, then you should not worry. Induration within 2 cm is considered an acceptable reaction to the vaccine.
As in the case of redness and swelling, this is an optional, but quite natural reaction of body tissues to a foreign protein. All of the restrictions listed above are also relevant for this type of side effect of vaccinations.
The basic rules of behavior for parents in this case are calm and observation.
What ointments and gels will help in treatment
An increase in temperature to febrile levels and the appearance of a red lump on the leg is an indication for providing medical assistance to the child. Such a patient needs to eliminate pain and swelling. A bandage with novocaine or Troxevasin ointment applied to the affected area will help with this. In addition, the baby should be given an antipyretic in the form of syrup or rectal suppositories.
If the formation at the site of vaccination does not go away, you should turn to the following drugs:
- use heparin ointment to improve microcirculation at the site of lump formation;
- use antiallergic drugs with multidirectional effects, for example, Fenistil gel or drops several times a day until the pathological manifestations of the vaccine disappear;
- apply Rescuer to the skin, which will make it possible to eliminate swelling;
- after the swelling has decreased, you can use the drug Escusan to speed up the healing of the inflamed wound from the vaccination.
As a rule, before administering DPT, pediatricians check with the child’s parents whether their baby has had any reactions to previous vaccinations. If such violations have occurred in the anamnesis, then the specialist will immediately recommend medications to eliminate them.
Is it possible to alleviate a child’s condition using traditional medicine?
Traditional recipes for disorders resulting from DPT can only be used with the permission of the pediatrician. It is important to understand that self-medication will most likely provoke the opposite effect, that is, it will only harm the baby.
The most popular natural remedies against complications of vaccinations:
- applying a cabbage leaf bandage at night to reduce the manifestations of soft tissue infiltration;
- a compress of honey and rye flour (to make the remedy, you need to mix both ingredients in equal quantities, after heating the honey);
- the compacted formation will decrease if you apply a mixture of warm honey, egg yolk and olive oil wrapped in parchment to it;
- It is recommended to keep cottage cheese heated in a water bath over the irritated area until it cools down.
It is prohibited to use polyethylene materials (plastic bags, cling film, etc.) to apply bandages. They are able to create a greenhouse effect and intensify the symptoms of the inflammatory process with the transformation of the infiltrate into an abscess.
Lump and its treatment with folk remedies
- Soda solution is used to treat seals. Dilute a tablespoon in half a glass of water, use boiled water. A gauze pad is generously moistened with this solution and applied to the sore spot;
- A proven method: take a cabbage leaf and scald it with hot boiled water, apply it to the seal for three hours, it is better to do it during the daytime sleep;
- Treatment with honey: honey is spread evenly on a gauze napkin and used as a compress at night;
- The cone is lubricated with aloe juice in the morning. After such a procedure, any seals quickly resolve.
