A meningitis infection may spread quickly, and prompt treatment reduces the risk of complications. If your baby exhibits any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek emergency medical help right away. crying or irritability when being picked up due to pain.In addition to the above symptoms, other signs of meningitis seen in infants may include: Meningitis can be a very serious illness even if your baby doesn’t develop septicemia. A soft spot that feels tight or forms a bulge could be a sign of swelling in the brain.Īlways contact your doctor if you see bumps or bulges on your infant’s head. Bulging fontanelĪnother sign of meningitis concerns the soft spot on top of a baby’s head ( fontanel). Seek medical attention if your infant has a fever with a rash.
#Skin rashes that itch lines skin#
Like adults, they may also develop blotchy skin or a pinprick rash.Īs the infection progresses, the rash grows and darkens. Skin rashĮarly in the course of infection, infants’ skin sometimes develops a yellow, blue, or pale tone. Infants may also exhibit widespread body stiffness and have jerky, or floppy movements. It can sometimes cause the head, neck, and spine to become rigid and arch backward ( opisthotonos). Neck pain and stiffness are common symptoms of meningitis. Abnormal arching in head, neck, and spine Rather than causing the more classic symptoms, babies who have meningitis may display the following. While the symptoms of meningitis are similar to those in adults, this infection may cause different symptoms in infants. Rehabilitative services may be helpful in those cases, but recovery could take years.Īnyone can get meningitis, but infants and children are at particular risk because they may not have fully developed immune systems, especially if they come in close contact with other children who have meningitis. In severe cases, it becomes necessary to amputate fingers, toes, arms, or legs. Plastic surgery and skin grafting may be able to improve function after the illness passes. This can injure tissue and lead to permanent scarring.
Blood vessel damage causes blood pressure and circulation to fall.īecause the limbs are at the far reaches of the circulatory system, a system-wide decrease in blood pressure leads to inadequate oxygen delivery, especially in the limbs. Tissue damage as the rash spreadsĪs the condition advances, the rash spreads and continues to darken. If you suspect meningitis, check lighter areas like the palms, eyelids, and inside the mouth.Īlso, not everyone with meningitis develops a rash. It’s harder to see the rash on darker skin. More bleeding under the skin may cause the spots to turn dark red or deep purple. In addition to a meningitis rash, other symptoms of a meningococcal infection may include:Īs the infection spreads, the rash becomes more obvious. The skin may simply look blotchy and can appear anywhere on the body. In the early stages, these symptoms may be dismissed as a scratch or mild bruising. This can cause a faint skin rash that looks like tiny pinpricks. As the infection progresses, blood vessels can become damaged. Meningococcal bacteria reproduce in the bloodstream and release poisons (septicemia). In addition to a possible rash, here’s what you might see during the early and later stages of this illness in children. The symptoms of a meningitis infection in children are similar to those in adults.
0 kommentar(er)
