Meningitis, causes and symptoms

Bacterial meningitis can occur at any age, especially young children. Some of the symptoms of meningitis can be recognized early.

Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the tissue layers around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). This is a life-threatening disease caused by bacterial infection in the meninges layer and left serious sequelae for children later.

Meningitis in babies and teenagers is usually caused by an infection inside the respiratory system. Particularly in infants, meningitis is often caused by blood infection (sepsis).

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. In which, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is usually the most common cause of meningitis. The good news is that there is now a preventive vaccine available to help prevent meningitis.

Vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria (called pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) and Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcal conjugate vaccine) have also significantly prevented the possibility of meningitis in children.

Symptoms and Signs

The 2 most common symptoms of meningitis are fever and headache. Besides, the distinct symptoms in each age can be mentioned as:

In infants and children under 12 months of age

Anorexic;

Lethargy;

Arouse;

Insomnia;

Woolgathering;

Listless;

Fever;

Hypothermia;

Epileptic;

Jaundice;

Bulging fontanelle;

Pale;

Shock;

Lower blood pressure;

Fear;

Hypoglycemia;

Metabolic acidosis is difficult to treat.

Symptoms in adolescents

Signs of stiff neck;

Convulsions;

Fear of light;

Headache;

Emotional change;

Irritability;

Lethargy;

Anorexic;

Nausea;

Vomiting;

Comatose;

Fever (some severe cases often show signs of hypothermia).

Meningitis is diagnosed

Your doctor may perform the following tests:

Cerebrospinal effusion;

Blood tests;

Physical tests - taking pictures.

The doctor diagnoses meningitis by taking a sample of cerebrospinal fluid through an aspiration procedure. The fluid is analyzed and the bacteria present in the sample are examined and cultured in the laboratory. Occasionally, symptoms are caused by other infections, such as encephalitis or non-bacterial meningitis. Therefore, the doctor must examine the sample to find and rule out the causes of the symptoms.

If your baby shows signs of increased pressure on the brain, traumatic brain injury or bleeding disorders, the doctor may not perform the procedure. In these cases, the doctor also performs a blood culture to look for the bacteria in it. Ultrasound or tomography (CT) are imaging tests to determine how much pressure is placed on the brain and whether an abscess is present.

Prevention

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 (prophylaxis).

Hope the article has provided you with useful information about meningitis to better understand and prevent children.