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Meningitis

By Bjarne Lühr Hansen PhD, MD and Philipp Skafte-Holm MD, Mentor Institute

Meningitis is a serious but rare infection with children. High fever, headache, neck pains and stiffness in the neck or back together with little dot-shaped spots in the skin can all be signs of meningitis. A child with meningitis suffers from malaise, meaning that the child only wants to stay in bed and cannot be lured into activity. You must call the doctor immediately, if you suspect your child has meningitis.

Meningitis is one of the most feared and serious infections. Luckily the illness only occurs rarely.

Meningitis can be caused by a virus or bacteria.

Meningitis caused by bacteria is the far most dangerous kind. Statistics show that 3-4% of the children with bacterial meningitis die. Haemophilus influenza type B used to be the most frequent cause of meningitis with children less than 5 years old. After vaccinations against this bacterium began, this illness has almost disappeared. Today, meningitis with children is caused by other bacteria. The best known is the meningococcal disease that is caused by the meningococcus bacteria.

Meningitis caused by virus is less dangerous than bacterial meningitis. Children with viral meningitis do not fall as seriously ill as children with bacterial meningitis.

Meningitis can start as a common cold, but typically as a bolt from the blue. Larger children complain about pains in the head and neck. A child with meningitis is seriously ill and you can tell by observing the child.

Possible symptoms of meningitis:

  • Complains about pains in head and/or neck
  • Fever – often more than 39,5°C
  • Malaise – lies still in bed and cannot be lured into activity
  • Uneasy and sensitive to sound, light and touch
  • Vomiting and nausea
  • Stiffness in neck and back *
  • Tense fontanelles *
  • Cramps
  • Little red dot-shaped spots on the skin *

* A child is stiff in neck and back, if it cannot put its forehead to its knees or if it cannot look down on its own navel. Infants do not become stiff in neck or back; instead the natural gaps in an infants skull will feel very tense. The small red spots are caused by small bleedings beneath the skin. In praxis, you can examine the rash by pressing the bottom of a glass against the skin – if the spots are still visible through the glass, it can be a sign of meningitis.

Click here to read about how you evaluate your child

Contamination

Meningococcal disease (meningococcus bacterium) infects through the air via coughing and sneezing. Many children have meningococcus in the nose and throat without being ill. Most cases of meningococcal disease are isolated incidents. The illness is not very contagious.

Sometimes more cases occur in the same area at about the same time. Therefore it is recommended that those living with a child suffering from meningococcal disease – typically parents and siblings – are treated with a preventive medication.

On the contrary, it is not recommended that children from the same day care or school are treated with preventive medication.

Day care:
The ill child can attend day care when it has finished its treatment and can participate in its usual activities without extra care.

Siblings of the ill child can attend day care when their preventive treatment has ended.

Medication

If you suspect meningitis, you should be careful when administering painkillers and antipyretic medication since this may dim the symptoms. It makes the fever fall and the child seems fresher while the medication has effect. Remember that children less than 2 years old should not be medicated without directions from a doctor.

In the case of meningitis, it is necessary to treat as fast as possible with injected antibiotics.

Sometimes more cases appear in the same area at the same time. Therefore it is recommended that those living in the same place as the child with meningococcal disease – typically parents and siblings – be treated with a preventive medication. On the contrary, it is not recommended that children from the same day care or school be treated with preventive medication.

What can you do?

It is important to react quickly. The faster the treatment is commenced, the less risk that the child will fall seriously ill. If you suspect meningitis, you must contact the doctor immediately.

Contact the doctor tomorrow

If you suspect meningitis, you must never wait till the next day.

Contact the doctor immediately

If you suspect meningitis.