Meningitis – A Deadly Disease of the Brain
Let’s Raise Awareness
Hello to all my lovely readers. I know most of you must be wondering what’s this weird term ‘Meningitis‘ in the post title. Well, in very simple words, it’s an infection of the brain which can result in the death of a person (any age group) within a few hours. I was not aware of this infection until lately when Nemit’s pediatrician threw some light on this horrifying disease. And today I am writing this post to spread awareness and share my understanding of this fatal disease with other parents.
Being a parent is a huge responsibility and we want to do the best for our kids. However, sometimes lack of awareness can result in devastating consequences.
Source – Pinterest
Last month when we visited the pediatrician for Nemit’s vaccination, my eyes caught a term ‘meningococcal‘ on the chart. It was mentioned that this vaccine was recommended for high-risk groups. And like any other panicky parent, I asked the doctor what that meant. It was then when she explained to us about ‘Meningitis’. After returning home, I did some research to understand it better and was shocked to read some facts about it.
Meningitis affects more than 2.8 million people globally each year. Babies, toddlers, and young children under the age of 5 are the most at-risk group for meningitis, with over 50% of all cases occurring in this age group.
Nemit’s pediatrician also told us about the different types of Meningitis but stressed most on Bacterial Meningitis. It is the most serious and fatal form of infection. If not diagnosed and treated on time, can cause death within a few hours in young children.
Babies and toddlers are at high risk because their immune system is not fully developed. Hence, they cannot fight infection.
You know, the germs that cause Meningitis reside in people’s nose, throat, and intestines. But the infection can only occur if they pass on to the bloodstream and reach the layer which covers the brain and the spinal cord. It was mentioned in one article that babies and young children can get it from an infected person by,
- kissing and touching
- coughing and sneezing
- or sharing their personal items
Hence, it’s important to understand the early signs and symptoms if we want to protect our kids against this fatal disease. The first symptoms are usually high fever and vomiting. However, the early symptoms can appear similar to flu and hence often get missed. I always say when it’s about babies, we should never take chances. So, trust your instincts, and if you see the child is getting sick, fast and getting worse, get medical help immediately.
Source – comomeningitis.org
You may also want to read Breath Holding Spells in Children!
One of the most effective ways to prevent your child from contracting Bacterial Meningitis is to get your child vaccinated.
Doctor asked me a question which I want to ask every parent who is reading this post. Did your child get a vaccine against Meningitis? (if you are following the immunization schedule)
Well, I am sure not many will answer a ‘Yes’ to this question. Just because we lack awareness.
The vaccine to prevent Meningitis is available and the babies can be vaccinated against Meningococcal Bacteria, 9 months onward.
The WHO estimates that each year, over 1 million children die of diseases that could be prevented by a vaccine.
It’s really important for parents to understand the causes of meningitis and how it spreads. And, also the importance of getting their child vaccinated to protect them from this deadly disease.
Thanks for reading, I hope this post helps in raising awareness about this fatal disease. Please share this post as much as possible.
Reference: –
https://www.meningitisnow.org/
https://www.healthline.com/
https://www.cdc.gov/
http://www.endmeningitis.com/
https://www.healthline.com/
http://www.who.int/
http://www.comomeningitis.org/
This sounds like a very scary disease but knowing more about it is definitely helpful. Specially proper vaccination can help to combat the effect in long way.
Awareness always helps us take the right decision as a parent.What’s important is we take precautions timely .Vacvination for meningococcal meningitis will help many.
Awareness is the must, so as to cure the diseases in the best way. I will not make a mistake to understand meningitis as common flu now
This post is very informative as most of us doesn’t have a hint about this disease which is really a dangerous one for kids
I was not aware of this, but thanks for a great post. every parent should read this. awareness is not only crucial but in these cases mandatory!
Quite an informative post about Meningitis. We need awareness around it so that parents can take the right step at the right time.
Great post, Neha! If I am not wrong then it also called as brain fever. So, is there body temperature too and when should one actually show to the doctor?
I didn’t know about meningitis too! This is really frightening! More and more awareness is needed so that parents can understand this!
I had no clue about this disease! Thank you for your detailed review! This is an important post <3
Getting to know abt this disease did give me a shock initially but will get in touch with with my pediatrician to confrm if we have vaccinated my baby against this ailment if not then I will certainly get her shots.
This is such an informative post. This is a must read for all parents. This is really frightening and I bet this post will help parents understand it.
I was totally unaware of this diesese.. it’s soo shocking to know.. a must and should awareness must be given to parents.
No doubt awareness is very much needed about this disease. Never know that it can be fatal in children. That’s very helpful post.
this is a great post Neha, Awareness is so important to help us with the right treatment at right time
Meningitis sounds very scary. Glad you shared this information that could help avoid it.
Thanks for highlighting this threat. I was not aware of this disease.
Thank you for informative post on Meningitis. Spreading awareness is equally important in tackling the menace. A simple preventive vaccine goes long way in securing the child from the notorious attack.
You have shaped this post really well. You started by defining the diseases, then some facts and numbers related to it. Then you shared the symptoms. And then some more numbers and then the websites. Thank you for writing such informative post.
Informative post. Awareness about this is much needed. Vaccination to prevent it would save many lives.
I got to know about this deadly disease when I delivered my twins. As they were preterm, the doc had asked us to get many tests done and he also explained about many such diseases and vaccinations to prevent them. You have penned this post very well, including all the important points.
Off late I’ve been reading a lot about this disease and coming to awareness and prevention I think The best way to fight bacterial meningitis is through vaccination. They prepare the immune system by exposing the body to a germ to fight an infection when it occurs.