Can neonatal meningitis be cured?

Newborns have a certain chance of developing meningitis because of their weak body resistance. The causative factors of this disease are quite complex and can be divided into multiple types, including viral, tuberculous, purulent, etc., and meningitis is prone to various complications. Therefore, when a newborn baby suffers from meningitis, it will definitely make parents very worried. So, can neonatal meningitis be cured? Let’s take a look below.

Meningitis is an infection of the delicate meninges (the membrane between the skull and the brain), usually as a complication of a bacterial or viral infection anywhere in the body, such as an ear, sinus, or upper respiratory tract infection. Meningitis is a particularly serious illness that requires prompt treatment. If not treated promptly, death or permanent brain damage may occur within hours. Viral meningitis is more serious, but most people can recover completely, while a few have sequelae.

Babies with meningitis usually first develop fever, followed by a dark red rash (1-2 mm in diameter) that does not disappear when pressed (press with your fingers for a few seconds). In more severe cases, these rashes can look more like severe abrasions.

Many people carry the bacteria that cause meningitis but have no symptoms. Most people will not get this disease, it only affects some people, the reason for which is not yet clear. Meningitis is spread through droplets from coughing and sneezing, as well as close contact in daily life. Once infected, the bacteria can cause sepsis (blood infection) and meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain) in a short period of time. In real life, these two situations often occur simultaneously. If your baby develops a rash that looks like an abrasion and keeps expanding, you should suspect sepsis. Meningitis often presents with these symptoms, along with headache and neck pain.

The main treatment is antibiotics, given intravenously or as an infusion in a hospital. Experts say that if the baby shows the above serious symptoms, we must send him to the hospital for treatment immediately. Even doctors are prone to making mistakes. They may see a child who is not seriously ill early in the morning, comfort them briefly, and then send them home. But after a few hours, inflammation develops rapidly in the body and the situation takes a turn for the worse.

If your baby is seriously ill and his condition is deteriorating rapidly, this is the most urgent moment. The only way to prevent death and disability is to diagnose quickly and then immediately administer life-saving antibiotics.

Vaccines are available to prevent certain types of meningitis. In Australia, babies should receive this vaccine (free of charge) at the age of one. However, if the illness recurs after this, he must be placed under urgent medical observation.

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