Definition
Meningitis describes an inflammation of the meninges surrounding the brain and their adjacent structures. The disease must be recognized quickly and treated accordingly, otherwise it can result in consequential damage or, in the worst case, even death. Therefore, vaccination against meningitis is urgently recommended, which is possible from the age of 12 months of a child.
Classic meningitis is characterized by headaches, stiff neck, fever, vomiting and general symptoms; inflammation of brain tissue and meninges is often accompanied by a loss of consciousness. Most meningitis is caused by viruses. In newborns these are often herpes viruses; in small children they are more likely to be measles, mumps or echoviruses.
A tick bite infected with the TBE virus can also lead to early summer meningo-encephalitis. Typical bacterial pathogens in newborns are enterobacteria (E. coli), which live in the intestine, as well as streptococci and listeria. In children, the most common pathogens for meningitis are the bacterial strains Haemophilus influenza, meningocococci and pneumococci. In adolescents and adults, meningocococcus and pneumococcus are also often responsible for meningitis.
Symptoms in the child
The symptoms of meningitis in children usually develop within a few hours. Typical symptoms are high fever, neck stiffness (the child resists lifting and bending the head towards the knee, also called meningismus), which in the course of time can also lead to pain in the neck and back due to the constant tension, photophobia, sensitivity to noise, nausea and vomiting. Furthermore, increased tiredness and pain in the limbs can be added.
It is always important to know whether the child may have had contact with a sick child or whether the meningitis was preceded by other diseases, for example an infection of the upper respiratory tract, an inflammation of the parotid gland or the paranasal sinuses, as well as an inflammation of the middle ear. In infants, meningitis often manifests itself differently than in older children, which is why caution should be exercised in the case of conspicuous behavior so that the disease is not overlooked. This can include only weakness in drinking and increased drowsiness, but also abdominal pain, refusal to eat, sensitivity to touch, the protrusion of the fontanel (large bone cleft in the child’s skull which has not yet closed up) or seizures.
