Meningitis & Sepsis
What are the causes?
Meningitis is a swelling around the brain. It is a very serious, contagious illness, but if it is treated early most children make a full recovery.
Sepsis (often called septicaemia or blood poisoning) is a life threatening condition triggered by an infection. Babies and toddlers are most vulnerable as they cannot easily fight infection because their immune system is not yet fully developed. They can’t tell you how they are feeling and can get a lot worse very quickly. Keep checking them.
What are signs
& symptoms?
The skin may develop pinprick bruises or large purple areas, which do not change colour if you roll a glass tumbler over them. This is a common sign of meningococcal septicaemia, a type of blood poisoning caused by the meningococcus bacteria, which can also cause meningitis.
Early signs may be like having a cold or flu. Children with meningitis can become seriously ill very fast, so make sure you can sport the signs. Your child may have a cluster of red or purple spots. Do the glass test. This rash can be harder to see on darker skin, so check for spots over your baby or child’s whole body as it can start anywhere (check lightest areas first).
How is it normally diagnosed & treated?
You should always treat any case of suspected meningitis or septicaemia as an emergency.
If meningitis is suspected, the doctor will order tests, probably including a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to collect a sample of spinal fluid. This test will show any signs of inflammation and whether a virus or bacteria is causing the infection.
Someone with viral meningitis might need to be treated in the hospital, although some kids can recover at home if they are not too ill. Treatment to ease symptoms includes rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medicine.
If bacterial meningitis is diagnosed — or even suspected — doctors will start intravenous (IV) antibiotics as soon as possible. Fluids may be given to replace those lost to fever, sweating, vomiting, and poor appetite.
