Children who survive bacterial meningitis face a toll of hidden after-effects, British researchers reported today.
As many as one in three survivors of meningitis B infection will suffer problems with mental health, memory, learning difficulties and risk of developing epilepsy, researchers say.
Some 573 families took part in the research, reported in The Lancet Neurology, and children who had suffered meningitis were compared with children with no experience of the disease.
Campaigners said the findings highlighted the need to raise awareness of meningitis and its effects.
The research found that 20 per cent of survivors suffered from anxiety and behavioural problems – and that survivors were five times as likely as other children to have speech and communication problems.
Researcher Professor Russell Viner, of the UCL Institute of Child Health, said it was the first comprehensive study of its kind.
He said: "As governments all around the world begin the process of deciding whether to introduce new MenB vaccines, the MOSAIC data will play a central role in informing these decisions."
Meningitis Trust chief executive Sue Davie said parents of children who had suffered from meningitis would feel "empowered" if they had concerns about the child’s development.
She said: “The hidden, yet devastating, after-effects of meningitis can often be dismissed. We hope that the new findings will encourage education and health professionals to recognise these, as well as the noticeable physical after-effects of meningitis, and push for children to receive the support they need and deserve.
“In addition, we hope that parents will feel more empowered by these findings. They need to be confident when advising professionals that their child might be suffering from the after-effects of meningitis in order to change perceptions, and ensure meningitis is fully investigated as a possible cause.”
The Lancet Neurology August 3 2012
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