Meningitis in a child: symptoms, causes, treatment

Meningitis is a disease for which it is not enough just to "pick up" a microbe that can penetrate protective barriers and get on the brain shell. In addition to this, the human body must be weakened. And if the adult "undermine" immunity can a long illness, pregnancy, immune system diseases, frequent libation, the child is born with an insufficiently mature protective system, and the first stage of its maturation is up to 7 years. That is why it is easier for babies to "catch" meningitis. In a child, the symptoms of this disease are slightly different from those described for adults.

How can a child get meningitis?

Children are much more likely than adults to get primary meningitis. This is such a kind of it, when the microbe is first put on the brain shell and immediately causes its inflammation. Primary meningitis is mainly meningococcal. A microbe can get to a child from a meningococcal carrier, from a patient with meningococcal nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the throat), as well as from someone who has meningococcal meningitis and was with the child in close contact (in the family, kindergarten). Meningococcus will no longer be transmitted from A person who received at least one dose of an antibiotic.

Also, the disease "meningitis" can occur when you get into the body of viruses that can overcome the protective barriers surrounding the brain. These are the viruses that cause ARVI, and those that cause first diarrhea, and herpes viruses, and such that cause mononucleosis, as well as many others. A person with this kind of meningitis can infect this disease in extremely rare cases. More often from communicating or using common objects of everyday life with a person who has viral meningitis, one can get infected only with ARVI or with viral diarrhea. Outbreaks of viral meningitis in children's groups do not result from infection of children with each other, but from non-observance of personal hygiene rules, as a result of which many children "immediately" get the virus.

You can also "get" secondary meningitis in a child whose symptoms do not appear immediately, but later, against a background of some viral or bacterial disease: measles, rubella, chickenpox; Purulent otitis, sinusitis, sepsis, pneumonia.

How does meningitis appear in children?

Older children may complain that they are concerned about an intense headache (less often in the back, especially in the lower back). In this case, there is an increased body temperature, weakness, decreased appetite. The child lies more, it is irritated by bright light and loud sounds (at the same time, pain in the head becomes worse). Nausea and vomiting may occur.

If the baby has developed meningitis before the age of 2, the child will have the following symptoms:

- in babies - swelling and tension fontanel. It is swelling, when the fontanel is higher than the bones of the skull, while it is pulsating and normal;

- increase in body temperature;

- monotonous crying;

- lethargy, drowsiness;

- refusal to eat;

- posture in bed with head thrown back;

- nausea, vomiting, regardless of food intake.

A rash of a dark color that does not disappear upon pressing it with transparent glass has a stellate shape (an optional feature), prone to fusion of individual elements, appears primarily on the buttocks and legs - a sign that the child is likely to have meningitis (photo Rashes - see below). In case of appearance of elements of such characteristics, it is necessary to call an ambulance, since such spots (this - hemorrhages) appear in all internal organs, and from this the child can die, the account goes for minutes.

Meningitis in a child: symptoms that are life-threatening

When there are any signs you need to go to an infectious disease hospital immediately?

1) An incomprehensible rash (especially if several signs fit the description above) against a background of even slightly elevated body temperature.

2) Cramps that seize the entire body or only two or four limbs. When meningitis, convulsions can occur with a stop of breathing, often repeated. Their characteristic feature is that they appear against a background of not very high body temperature, while the child either completely loses consciousness, or ceases to react to others, looking "at one point".

3) Impaired consciousness (a child who sleeps all the time), delirium, hallucinations.