Meningitis is very common in babies and young children. It is very important to learn carefully the characteristics of the disease as well as its symptoms in order to treat the baby promptly. Join us to learn about this childhood meningitis disease!
Child's meningitis: Features, symptoms and treatment
Child's meningitis is a dangerous condition
Features of childhood meningitis
This is a dangerous pathology characterized by an inflammatory reaction of the meninges - spinal cord. It is usually caused by a virus for aseptic meningitis or by bacteria that travel through the bloodstream from an infected site in another part of the body. Fungal infections can also cause meningitis, but this is less common.
Disease affecting babies 2−3 months of age is called neonatal meningitis. This phenomenon, whether caused by a virus or bacteria, can have a serious effect and put a child at risk of deafness, neurological defects and even death.
Causes of meningitis
Meningitis in a newborn is often the result of sepsis (septicemia). Common meningitis-causing bacteria are Group B Streptococci, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes.
Infants and adolescents become infected by exposure to respiratory secretions containing pathogenic bacteria (eg saliva or nasal mucus). Bacteria that cause infections in babies and adolescents include Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. Among them, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is usually the most common cause of meningitis.
What are the symptoms of meningitis?
Detecting meningitis is quite difficult, especially in infants, as the symptoms of meningitis are not always the same in all cases. Also, they do not manifest in any particular order. Symptoms such as a high fever, stiff neck, and severe headache are the most obvious signs.
Child's meningitis is a dangerous condition
Other signs of meningitis include:
Sensitivity to light;
Vomiting or nausea;
Feeling dreamy;
Asleep;
Anorexia;
Skin rash.
If your baby is sick, you may notice some of these symptoms, but they also appear in other illnesses. However, to be sure, if parents notice any signs that your baby might have meningitis, it is important to bring your baby to the doctor for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.
Treatment of meningitis in children like?
If your baby has meningitis, the immune system may be strong enough to fight it. Usually no treatment is needed, although a doctor will sometimes prescribe medication, especially in infants. In some cases, your baby may need to stay in hospital for a few days to keep a close watch on symptoms, especially if they are very young.
To get rid of the bacteria, your doctor will use some powerful antibiotics. Newborns usually stay in hospital for 2 weeks for doctors to monitor and treat. Although the disease is very dangerous, the cure rate is quite high, about 85%, as long as the disease is diagnosed early in the early stages when the first symptoms appear. That is why doctors recommend taking your child to the hospital immediately if you suspect that your baby has meningitis.
How to prevent disease
meningitis in children
Vaccination is an effective prevention for children with meningitis. If you are in regular contact with someone with meningitis, give your child antibiotics to prevent infection. This method is also known as chemoprophylaxis (preventive treatment).
This disease is easy to confuse with many other diseases. Therefore, parents need to carefully observe even the smallest unusual manifestations in the baby to promptly bring their children to the doctor before the problem becomes more serious.
-Ele Luong-
Related Articles:
What you need to know when babies' limbs are always cold
Genital warts caused by disinfection of the foreskin of boys - Rules parents need to keep in mind so children don't get infected
Children often have tonsillitis - Why and is there any prevention method?