Serous meningitis: signs in children that should alert parents

Meningitis is a life-threatening disease that is more common in children than in adults. This is due to the fact that the immunity of the child is not yet as trained as in adults. He still has to find out what microbes live in this area, and learn how to deal with them.

Viruses, less often bacteria or protozoa are the causes that cause serous meningitis. Symptoms in children of this disease are not always specific, and it is almost impossible to distinguish serous inflammation from purulent from the clinic. Only with the help of a general analysis of cerebrospinal fluid that can be obtained during lumbar puncture (puncture in the lumbar vertebrae) is this diagnosis made.

Before the serous meningitis itself develops , the signs in children will resemble the usual viral disease. This is either a cough, or a runny nose, or a swallowing in the throat, less often diarrhea, conjunctivitis, a reddish rash all over the body, if an enterovirus has entered the baby's body. Then only, in 3-5 days, there is a clinic of meningitis (all this time the microbe reached the meninges and overcame its defense).

Serous meningitis is usually not contagious. A patient can spread a virus or a bacterium into the environment, but the probability that a microbe will cause another person to have meningitis is rather small. In adults who have been in contact with a patient, almost certainly will develop conjunctivitis, ARI, cough or diarrhea. Children can get meningitis after such communication, but this is unlikely. Rather, if serous meningitis occurs in several children attending a child care institution, they consume food or drink contaminated with viruses.

Serous meningitis. Signs in children:

1. The child's body temperature rises. Usually these are high numbers that appear as a "second wave" against a background of already normalized temperature, or a primary increase in it.
2. Severe headache: the frontal part or the whiskey hurts, the child can point out the pain that is common throughout the head.
3. Lethargy, drowsiness.
4. Lying easier than sitting.
5. Nausea, vomiting, usually without diarrhea, and after the baby has vomited, it does not get easier. Tears the child under pressure ("vomiting a fountain"). The masses in this case do not have diagnostic value in this case: they can have an admixture of bile (yellow staining), greens, pieces of undigested or digested food.
6. Disappears appetite, the child is not active and does not even want to watch cartoons or play computer games.
7. There may be dizziness, photophobia.
8. Increases skin sensitivity.
9. There may be convulsions when the child not only involuntarily moves the limbs, but also ceases to respond to others.
10. If you put your hand under the child's head and try to touch the sternum with your chin, then this is impossible (the symptom should be checked against a background of low body temperature or in its absence).

Serous meningitis. Signs in children up to the year:

1. Monotonous crying or screaming, can be moaning or other monotonous sounds that are accompanied by a grimace of pain. All this - against the background of increased body temperature.
2. The child refuses to go in his arms, as it is more comfortable in the reclining position.
3. Lying, he tries to take a specific position: on his side with his legs pressed and his head thrown back. If this is observed in the child as a separate symptom against a background of normal temperature, this may indicate that there is an increase in intracranial pressure.
4. A large fontanel bulges out (it should be flush with the bones of the skull and pulsate).
5. The baby becomes sluggish, sleepy. Initially, it can be unnaturally agitated, then it gives way to a gradual falling asleep until it becomes impossible to wake it up.
6. Convulsions against the background of body temperature below 38 degrees, repeated convulsions.
7. If the child is taken under the arms, he will pull his legs to his chest and resist Such violence by the adult, whereas the infant without meningitis will calmly bend, unbend legs, move them to the sides.
8. Vomiting "fountain".

And in children up to a year, and in older children, serous meningitis can occur against a rash.

Often, bacterial meningitis has the same symptoms. It can be distinguished if it appeared against the background of otitis, rhinitis, osteomyelitis, pneumonia or sinusitis, or on the body there is a dark rash that does not disappear and does not turn pale when pressed on it with glass. The main diagnosis is carried out by the investigation of the cerebrospinal fluid.