What is meningitis in babies and children? How to understand?
Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is usually caused by a virus (aseptic meningitis) or bacteria passing through the bloodstream from an infection elsewhere in the body. Rarely, a fungal infection can also cause meningitis, but this is much less common. Meningitis that affects babies aged 2 or 3 months is called neonatal meningitis. Whether viral or bacterial, it can be very serious and any delay in treatment can put babies at risk of deafness, intellectual disability and death. In older infants and children, viral meningitis, which is more common than bacterial meningitis, is typically milder and usually goes away on its own within 10 days. There are many viruses that cause meningitis in children, but the most common are from the group known as enteroviruses – for example, coxsackie, the virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease, is an enterovirus that can cause meningitis. Other viral infections, such as mumps, herpes simplex viruses, and influenza, can also cause meningitis. Bacterial meningitis occurs quickly and is a very serious disease. Most children with bacterial meningitis recover without complications in the long term, but bacterial meningitis can cause deafness, blindness, developmental delays, loss of speech, muscle problems, kidney failure, seizures, and even death.
If your child has a fever, he or she is at risk of developing meningitis. What is it?
If it's weak, but you suspect you may have meningitis, get it checked out by your doctor right away. Adolescents and infants between the ages of 16 and 21 have the highest risk of getting meningitis, but anyone can get it.
What Are the Symptoms of Meningitis?
It's really not easy to write this here, because the symptoms of meningitis are for everyone. They are not always the same and do not appear in any particular order. High fever, neck stiffness (examination finding) and severe headache are the most obvious symptoms.
Other meningitis symptoms are:
- Sensitivity to light
- Vomiting.
- Nausea
- Tendency to sleep
- Skin rash
If your baby has meningitis, you may notice some of these symptoms. However, you may not notice any symptoms.
Your baby may also be crying constantly and may have a swollen fontanelle (soft spot on the head).
If you have any doubts that your child may have meningitis, call your doctor immediately. Early treatment is very important.
How is Meningitis Diagnosed?
If your doctor suspects meningitis, he/she wants to remove fluid from the spinal cord and does this with a lumbar puncture. In some cases, before a doctor performs a puncture, he or she will order a CT scan to rule out other problems and to make sure it is safe to perform a lumbar puncture.
This procedure is usually more uncomfortable than painful. Your child must lie in the fetal position and be held still for the test. The doctor may apply local anesthesia to reduce discomfort during the procedure. He then inserts a small needle into the space between the vertebrae to withdraw spinal fluid for testing. (If you've had an epidural during labor, you know this procedure.) The procedure takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Blood and urine samples will also be taken. The doctor will probably have some information within an hour or two after the initial analysis of the spinal fluid. Further analysis will determine precisely whether your child has meningitis and, if so, whether it is caused by a virus or bacteria (and which bacteria). It may take up to 72 hours for the diagnosis to be finalized. But there is usually advance notice within 24 to 48 hours.
How is Bacterial Meningitis Treated?
If the child is very sick, the doctor will probably not wait for test results.
In treatment. Comprehensive antibiotics and supportive treatment to support the child's general condition will be given. He will begin treatment immediately and continue as long as tests show no signs of bacteria, which means that if it is meningitis, it is most likely caused by a virus.
How is Viral Meningitis Treated?
If it is viral meningitis, Your child's immune system is probably strong enough to defeat viruses. However, it is necessary to be hospitalized and treated.
For Protection
General protection methods against infectious diseases, that is, compliance with hygiene rules
Can the possibility of meningitis be completely prevented? Not completely l but the risk can be reduced. The most important thing you can do is to vaccinate your child. Polio, measles, mumps, varicella (chickenpox), and influenza vaccines all help protect against viral forms of meningitis. Additionally, make sure you have been vaccinated against the common culprit, Haemophilus influenza type B, or Hib at some point. Vaccinations have sharply reduced the incidence of childhood meningitis. Another vaccine, called the meningococcal vaccine, also provides protection against one of the most deadly and serious bacterial meningitis agents today. The Pneumococcal vaccine is routinely given to prevent one of the most common and deadly types of meningitis today, caused by pneumococcal bacteria.
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