According to a new study, a majority of first-time expectant mothers surveyed planned to follow the recommended immunization schedule for their child.
First-time expectant mothers who do not plan to follow the recommended childhood immunization schedule differ in a number of ways from mothers who do, according to a recent study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Georgia.
Most significantly, “mothers who weren’t planning on following the schedule were relying primarily on Internet sources and family or friends for information, so finding ways to reach them with information from pediatricians or family physicians could be very helpful, said study co-author Glen Nowak, director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication in UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
The researchers found that 75 percent of the 200 first-time expectant mothers they surveyed planned to follow the recommended immunization schedule. However, 10.5 percent were planning to spread out recommended vaccinations, and 4 percent were planning to have their child receive some but not all of the recommended vaccinations. The remaining mothers, 10.5 percent, were undecided on the schedule as of their second trimester of pregnancy.
