The Mantoux reaction is an inoculation or a diagnostic test?

Most parents still believe that Mantoux's reaction is an inoculation, as a result of which the child may experience various complications. That is why they refuse to perform this diagnostic test, believing that excessive intervention in the finely organized body of the baby can cause the development of numerous diseases in the future.

Mantoux reaction - where is truth and fiction?

In fact, the Mantou 's reaction, vaccinated (BCG), repeated every year under normal development and child health , helps fight against tuberculosis and control the moment of infection of the organism by the causative agent of this dangerous disease. In case of any doubts, it is possible to refer the patient to a consultation with a phthisiatrician. Each parent, regardless of the age of the son or daughter, should remember that the primary vaccination against the Koch bacillus (mycobacterium tuberculosis) is performed by the newborn in the maternity hospital - on the 4th-5th day of life, just before discharge.

All healthy, full-term children should be vaccinated, for which the pediatric neonatologist does not see a discharge from the vaccination for medical reasons. Undoubtedly, with the disagreement of the mother (or both parents) of the child, this medical manipulation will not be conducted, and the baby, like his peers, will be discharged home, but family members should reflect on the fact that the spread of tuberculosis in modern society is so widespread that it is guaranteed The absence of contact with a patient with an acute form of the disease is impossible. So it turns out that the mass unwillingness of parents to carry out the recommended vaccinations makes the newborn immune to the pathogen of tuberculosis.

Accordingly, the Mantoux response per year helps to assess the intensity of immunity of the baby's body to the mycobacterium tuberculosis. Do not be afraid of the words of the pediatrician that this reaction is positive - if BCG vaccination is correctly performed , it should be such, it is important for the doctor to catch the moment when a weakly positive "button" turns into a sharply positive one. On the contrary, if a negative Mantoux reaction is detected every year, BCG vaccination should be repeated, otherwise the baby's body will not be able to produce antibodies against Koch's wand.

How is the Mantoux reaction carried out?

The diagnostic test should be performed at the time when the child is healthy (or chronic diseases are in the stage of relative compensation). Before the Mantoux reaction, the baby should be examined by a qualified pediatrician - it is important to exclude rashes on the skin of an allergic or infectious nature, fever, catarrhal phenomena, because all these factors reduce the value of such diagnostics.

Parents of the child (or their legal representatives) must necessarily give their consent to the sample. They must also be warned that until the next examination of the doctor, held no later than 72 hours after the "button", the injection site - the forearm of the hand can not be moistened with water, rubbed or combed.

It should be remembered that the reaction or, as parents sometimes say, the Mantoux vaccine, which is very limited in contraindications, should be repeated yearly - candidates for revaccination of BCG are selected at 7 and 14 years of age. You can not do it during the period of exacerbation of chronic diseases, during recovery after any illnesses (including ARVI), blood diseases and congenital disorders of immunity. In other cases, you should not refuse to perform this diagnostic test.

Undoubtedly, even if the Mantoux reaction, BCG vaccination has not been performed, the child can not be excluded from visiting the kindergarten - whatever the caregivers and medical workers say.