Two Months of Growth!

Liam had his 2 month check-up, and the doctor said he had no signs of congestion or anything whatsoever (he never really had too much though, I don't think). His growth was very impressive to me. He went from "average" to being "tall," at 25 inches long! Michael thinks they might have been a little generous with that, but still! That puts him in the 95-97 percentile (though, I don't care about that too much since the differences between each bracket are so slim....it is based on the WHO growth charts). His weight was 12 pounds, 10 ounces (75%), and finally his head circumference is up one whole inch to 15.75 inches (50%).

He ended up not getting vaccines today, and the reason was because of our insurance. Starting January 1 we switched to a temporary insurance plan that doesn't cover these well-baby visits or immunization, but it will be there if we get really sick, need prescriptions, etc. Thankfully, if we pay the cost of each appointment in full, we get 20% off. Ironically, paying for the appointments and plan we selected is cheaper than paying for more premium monthly insurance that covers only part of these well-baby visits and immunization (COBRA was so horrendously priced, I discovered the true reason for its name and ran from it quick!!). Also, since we have "emergency insurance" it is considered to be a form of "under insurance" and our doctors office is not allowed to give us vaccines for any lower than their premium rate. Since they would have to charge us up to $500 for some rounds of vaccines, they recommended what I already knew: have them done at the public health clinic. There, those of us with no or little insurance can get the same vaccines for only $5 each (government subsidizes the cost so every child can be vaccinated). We have several in our area as well, so this is a much better plan. I do plan to call around and ask about what brands of vaccines different ones carry before we go.

As for the vaccine issue, Michael and I had a discussion and did a fair amount of research. Being a researcher and having a scientific mind, he checked into the concerns and the claims relating to vaccines. He checked articles and their sources mostly on Pubmed.com. While we acknowledge there are a lot of concerns and fear going around, we at least are comfortable mostly sticking with the standard schedule (I am not keen on flu vaccines in general, and plan to refuse one for Liam when he is 6 months old in May...it's not flu season!).

The autism issue is an interesting one to look into. For the most part, the increase in cases starting in the 90's appears to be more attributable to the way it was diagnosed and to public awareness rather than actual new cases. Autism had always been around, but in the past it might have just been labelled as a more general mental disorder or as someone who was just "slow." Today we understand it better than they did then, even though we don't fully know what causes it. It definitely does occur in completely unvaccinated individuals. Current research states there appears to be some kind of genetic root or disorder that might be to blame, though researchers haven't yet determined whether or not there are any environmental links or triggers yet. I am glad to know at least that one ingredient that could have definitely caused problems, thermisol (mercury), has been removed from almost all vaccines. This is even dangerous when consumed in too much fish, as we now all know.

As for if aluminum is a concern or not, I never was quite convinced. I will acknowledge it still could be, but even if it is a kid's main exposure will not be from vaccines. It is in breast milk, formula (a surprising level in formula actually), antacids (like some people give their babies to treat reflux or gas), and found in almost everything grown in the ground (organic and conventional, as it is the 3rd most abundant metal in the Earth's crust).

After looking into everything, I do fully understand why someone might do an alternative schedule. I thought about it myself as well, but we decided just to keep on the standard schedule for the most part. I think parents should do what they are most comfortable doing, and it is best for them to be informed. Weigh your options and decide for yourself. There is a risk in any path you chose, but that is just the nature of life. I'm also personally trusting God with our little one. I believe that God has created Liam for a specific purpose and to be a certain person. If that is a person with autism (which I truly, hope not), I believe that is part of His plan. We do not believe giving him these vaccines increases his risk of autism.

Beyond all that, we finally got our dining room straightened up! It is such a relief. Now let's see if we can keep it this way ;-)

Here are some pictures taken of him at 9 weeks old!