The shot is given before the baby is discharged from the hospital. Most hospitals, including Yale New Haven Hospital, prioritize uninterrupted skin-to-skin time between the parent and newborn in the first hour after birth, so the shot is not given immediately upon birth, notes Dr. Loyal, calling it “the golden hour” for the parent of a healthy newborn.
“After that early bonding, we usually bring the baby over to the warmer or bassinet to get assessed by a nurse or doctor and can give the shot then, usually along with an eye ointment to prevent neonatal bacterial conjunctivitis,” she says.
If a family wants to delay the shot slightly, that is generally fine so long as it is given before the baby goes home. For boys having a circumcision, the shot must be given beforehand.
Parents worried about their baby’s discomfort during the injection can ask to hold and nurse the baby during the shot, which may help.
“We tell parents that with any injection, there is potential for discomfort or pain, but that’s all,” Dr. Loyal says.
Newborns typically receive other preventive treatments around the same time, including the hepatitis B vaccine and, more recently, an antibody injection to protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
