St.Helen's Medical Centre

CHILDHOOD DISEASES

The following diseases can be more serious than many people think. Some, in certain cases, can be potentially fatal. Your child can, however, be protected by immunisation.

Children With High Temperatures - Worry About Possible Meningitis If you suspect meningitis contact the doctor immediately. The signs and symptoms of meningitis are high temperature, vomiting, headache, dislike of bright light, stiff neck and sometimes a rash. Meningococcal meningitis can develop very rapidly.

The characteristic rash is of clusters of tiny pin-point bruises which do not fade when the skin is stretched. Check by the ‘glass test’ - press a glass against the rash until the skin looks white. A normal rash should disappear under the glass, but the meningitis rash will not.

Diphtheria is, due to immunisation, very uncommon in Britain these days, but the risk of this potentially fatal disease still exists. Diphtheria starts off with a sore throat which is followed by symptoms closely resembling a common cold. It also causes the airways of the nose and throat to become blocked causing difficulty in breathing.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) can cause a distressing cough which can last for weeks and has shown potential for permanent lung damage.

Tetanus (Lockjaw) is caught through wounds especially if contaminated by soil. Diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus can all be protected by DPT infant vaccination. Tetanus should be boosted about every 10 years.

HiB (Haemophilus influenzae type B) is a bacterial infection which can cause a number of diseases including bacterial meningitis, septicaemia, pneumonia and septic arthritis. It is the serious nature of HiB which, in recent years, has made immunisation so important for the under fours.

Measles is very common and particularly infectious. Like diphtheria it starts off like a common cold, but the child quickly develops a temperature and a rash. Measles can be very serious indeed, leading to all manner of problems such as ENCEPHALITIS, which can cause brain damage, bronchitis and pneumonia. Every year a number of children die from measles.

Mumps is usually not a severe illness in itself. It can, however, lead to very unpleasant complications such as viral meningitis in children. Symptoms are usually restricted to a swelling under the jaw and behind and over the ears. In the UK over 1,000 people a year are admitted to hospital with mumps.

Polio has been eradicated in the UK by immunisation. Increasing foreign travel, however, increases the risk of this disease being reintroduced via unprotected individuals. It is a disease of the nervous system which interferes with muscular movement. It can affect different muscle groups, for example those in the chest, causing difficulty in breathing, or those in the legs. It may lead to permanent paralysis.

Rubella (German Measles) is a very mild illness with symptoms similar to the common cold together with a rash, initially on the face, which rapidly spreads all over the body. It is, however, highly dangerous to the unborn child and, therefore, it is especially important that those planning to become pregnant are protected.