Infants and children receive numerous immunizations prior to maturity of their immune systems. Is there a risk of overstimulation? If so, what are the complications?
Infants and children begin to build immunity at birth. The precursor to breast milk contains antibodies produced by the mother that provide passive protection to the breast-feeding infant. During and shortly after birth, infants also begin to develop antibodies as their immune systems are exposed to environmental stimulants. In addition, immunization with vaccines stimulates the immune system to develop antibodies artificially to a variety of infectious agents that cause severe illness and/or are rapidly spread.
Vaccine use has greatly reduced the numbers of infant deaths due to chicken pox, whooping cough, measles, and other potentially life-threatening infectious diseases. Although I believe in the merits of vaccine usage, I sometimes question whether there is a risk of over-stimulation of the under-developed or immature immune systems. Other than the obvious concern of developing suboptimal antibody levels which fail to prevent infection, are there other immune system-related complications that are as yet unrecognized and/or may not present until later in life?
Please share any expertise that you might have on the subject of infant immunization.
