Common Topics [HIDDEN]

Advice for parents / carers

Advice for parents/carers:
Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults.

Symptoms of meningitis, septicaemia and meningococcal disease include:

Advice for parents/carers:
Skin rashes are common in babies and children.

Most rashes are harmless and go away on their own
The causes of skin rashes tend to differ in babies compared to older children. Many viruses can cause a rash in addition to other symptoms such as fever and cough.
The rash often varies in shape and size, usually appearing as blotchy red spots commonly affecting most of the body. They sometimes appear quite quickly and usually last for only a few days. These rashes are generally ‘non-specific’, which means that it is often hard to say which specific virus is the cause

Advice for parents/carers:
There are currently high rates of Group A strep and scarlet fever in the UK. Scarlet fever, which is caused by the bacteria Group A streptococcus, is usually a mild illness but it is highly infectious. It much more common in children than in adults; it is important that children with scarlet fever are seen by their GP so that they can be started on antibiotics. This is not only to reduce the chance of their infection becoming more severe but also to stop them spreading the infection to others, especially people at higher risk of severe infections such as the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

Advice for professionals