The most basic symptoms of encephalitis in infants and young children

Infants and young children are a group with a high incidence of encephalitis. In the early stages of the disease, they have symptoms similar to those of a cold. As the disease gradually worsens, the child will experience headaches, nausea, and burning symptoms. For babies, they will not eat milk and will scream, which can lead to protruding fontanelles. When these symptoms appear, parents must take their children to the hospital for examination and provide timely and effective treatment.

The most basic symptoms of encephalitis in infants and young children

The initial symptoms of meningococcal disease are similar to those of general respiratory tract infections. As the disease worsens, severe headaches, pain in the back of the neck, and projectile vomiting may occur. The child may have an apathetic expression, become drowsy or irritable, and may even have convulsions or coma. After the baby gets meningitis, his fontanelle is bulging, his eyes are straight, he refuses to eat, and cries loudly. The most diagnostically valuable manifestation of meningococcal meningitis is skin hemorrhages.

Bleeding spots usually appear within 1 to 2 days after the onset of the disease, distributed on the trunk and limbs, especially on the buttocks and lower limbs. At the beginning, there are only a few scattered bleeding spots, which then quickly develop into bruises and ecchymoses of varying sizes, or even large patches. The bleeding spots are bright red in the early stages, then turn dark red or dark purple. In severe cases, large areas of necrosis occur, exposing the muscle layer and causing ulceration.

The most serious type of meningococcal disease is the fulminant type, which has an abrupt onset, severe course, and rapid progression. Large bruises often appear in a short period of time, and circulatory or respiratory failure often occurs within 24 hours. Children with this disease should be given emergency treatment. Any delay in treatment and rescue will endanger the life of the child.

How to detect meningococcal disease early?

①Judge based on the season and age of onset. Infants under 6 months old can obtain antibodies from their mothers and rarely suffer from this disease. After 6 months, the antibody concentration in the blood gradually decreases and the possibility of getting the disease increases. This disease mainly occurs in children under 15 years old who have not been vaccinated with meningococcal vaccine. ② Make a judgment based on medical history. The onset is acute, accompanied by respiratory symptoms (the younger the age, the less obvious the symptoms), high fever, headache, and especially projectile vomiting, while vomiting caused by other diseases often begins with nausea and then vomiting.