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Common childhood illnesses

Young children are particularly vulnerable to illnesses. Fortunately, for many illnesses immunisations are now available. If you are concerned that your child may have some symptoms of any of the following, make an appointment to see your GP. However, if your child is very ill or you’re concerned that the problem could be serious you should go immediately to A & E.

Measles

How is it spread? Measles is highly infectious and has an incubation period of 10 days. Infection is spread by droplets from the mouth or nose.

What are the symptoms? It starts like a bad cold with lots of catarrh and a temperature. The classic measles rash generally appears after two days.

What complications can it cause? Complications can include bronchitis, bronchiolitis, ear infections and croup. In rare cases, there can be serious complications affecting the nervous system, such as encephalitis.

Is an immunisation available? Children are offered the measles vaccine at twelve to fifteen months. It’s given as a part of the MMR injection.

Mumps

How is it spread? Mumps is a viral illness, with an incubation period from fourteen to twenty-one days.

What are the symptoms? Considerable swelling around the cheeks and neck.

What complications can it cause? Complications can include meningitis, deafness, encephalitis and inflammation of the testes in boys, which can damage their fertility.

Is an immunisation available? Children are offered the mumps vaccine at twelve to fifteen months with the MMR vaccine.

Rubella (previously known as German measles)

How is it spread? Rubella is caused by a virus. It’s spread in the same way as a cold, by tiny droplets produced from the nose and mouth.

What are the symptoms? A fever, rash and swollen glands.

What complications can it cause? Complications for the child itself are rare. However, if a woman contracts rubella in the first eight to 10 weeks of pregnancy, the effects on her unborn baby can be very serious. Babies can be born with deafness, blindness, heart problems and/or brain damage.

Is an immunisation available? Children are offered the rubella vaccine at 12 to 15 months. It is given as part of the MMR vaccination.

Polio

How is it spread? By contact with the faeces, mucus or saliva of an infected person. The incubation period varies between three and twenty-one days.

What are the symptoms? A headache, feeling generally unwell, an upset stomach, a slightly raised temperature and stiffness of the neck and back which may lead to paralysis.

What can it cause? Polio attacks nerve tissue in the brain and spinal cord, sometimes causing paralysis.

Is an immunisation available? The polio vaccine is given to babies at eight, twelve and sixteen weeks, along with the meninigitis C injection.

Diphtheria

How is it spread? By droplets from the nose or mouth. The incubation period is from two to six days.

What are the symptoms? It affects the throat and can cause breathing difficulties, damage to the heart and nervous system, or even death.

Is an immunisation available? Babies are offered an immunisation injection at eight, twelve and sixteen weeks of age.

Tetanus (also known as lockjaw)

How is it spread? The tetanus organism can be spread through animal bites, or when soil comes into contact with a wound or a cut. It can have a long incubation period, varying from four to twenty-one days.

What are the symptoms? The symptoms of tetanus are painful, spasming muscle contractions in the head and jaw.

What complications can it cause? Left untreated, tetanus can be fatal.

Is an immunisation available? Children are offered this immunisation as a baby at eight, twelve and sixteen weeks, once before starting school and once between thirteen and eighteen years of age.

Whooping cough (also known as pertussis)

How is it spread? This is a very infectious disease, transmitted by droplets from the nose or mouth. The incubation period is from seven to ten days.

What are the symptoms? It starts in the same way as a cold, but as it progresses, the coughing spasms become more and more severe.

What complications can it cause? Severe cases may be complicated by pneumonia, vomiting and weight loss. More rarely, it can cause brain damage and death.

Is an immunisation available? Young babies are most at risk, so they’re offered the immunisation injection at eight, twelve and sixteen weeks of age.

Chickenpox

What is it? Chickenpox is a highly infectious disease caused by one of the herpes group of viruses.

How is it spread? The virus is transmitted from person to person by droplets from the nose or mouth or by close contact with an infected person. The incubation period is from fourteen to twenty-one days.

What are the symptoms? Some children will have a high temperature, and all will develop a rash. The rash will start as little red spots developing tiny blisters on the face and trunk, then spreading to the mouth, throat and genital area. The child is infectious from about two days before the rash appears until all the spots have dried up. This process can take up to ten days.

What complications can it cause? The chickenpox virus can reactivate much later to cause an adult disease called shingles.

Is an immunisation available? The varicella vaccine can protect people from chickenpox. It is a single injection for children under the age of 12.

Impetigo

What is it? Impetigo is a highly contagious skin infection that usually affects pre-school and school-aged children, but it can also affect toddlers.

How is it spread? The bacteria (usually staphylococcus, but sometimes streptococcus) invades the skin through cold sores, cuts or grazes, eczema, or other damaged or sensitive areas.

What are the symptoms? The infection often develops around the nose and mouth, but it can easily spread to other parts of the body. Impetigo symptoms vary depending on which of two types of bacteria causes the infection.

Streptococcus bacteria bring on tiny blisters that burst easily and expose wet, reddish skin underneath. If staphylococcus bacteria are to blame, the blisters will be larger and more resilient.

As the skin dries, a scabby tan or yellow-brown crust forms over the tender area, causing the skin to itch. Your child may also have a temperature and swollen lymph glands in his face or neck.

What can I do to prevent impetigo from spreading to others? Impetigo is very infectious, and if your child is not treated, they may be contagious for several weeks.

Keep your child at home, and don’t allow any friends to visit. Pregnant women must be kept away as impetigo can cause problems for the unborn baby. Very young babies and children whose immune systems are deficient are also at risk.

Ask everyone in your family to be scrupulous about hygiene, washing their hands regularly with soap and water. Don’t share any towels, hairbrushes or other personal items with your child.

Once treatment does start and the rash begins to disappear, usually after 48 hours, they’ll no longer be contagious, although the other symptoms may last for a while.

What complications can it cause? Left untreated, impetigo can lead to glomerulonephritis, a rare but serious inflammation of the kidneys accompanied by high blood pressure and blood in the urine.

Is an immunisation available? No. Both forms of impetigo are treated with penicillin antibiotics, and recent research using anti-viral drugs in the very early stages of the illness has shown a slight improvement in the condition. Your child must take the full course of antibiotics to prevent the infection from returning, and antibiotic skin cream may be prescribed for the rash.