Parents of sick babies: always check the neck!

[Anonymous]

There are many different types of meningitis.

The H.influenzae (HIB) and Strep Pneumonia (Prevnar) vaccines protect against the more common bacterial meningitis seen in infants/young kids.

Neonates commonly get Group B Strep (hence the testing done at ~35 weeks of pregnancy and antibiotic treatment for those mom's who are carriers).

Neisseria meningitis is the one you hear about in teenagers and college students. There's a vaccine (MCV4) that is given at ages 11/12 and again pre college.

Then there are a ton of viral infections that cause meningitis as well but there are no vaccines to prevent the majority of them.

[Anonymous]

NP here and am also grateful for the tip about how to check (and will practice doing so with all fevers just to be in the habit). We do know someone who lost a toddler to meningitis and it's a big fear of mine. I'm resisting the urge to run upstairs and wake up DD (with no signs of illness at all) to make her move her neck!

[Anonymous]

My brother died of bacterial meningitis as a toddler. Thanks for this post.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info about babies. A good way to tell in older kids and adults is to ask them to touch their chin to their chest. Also the light sensitivity and lethargy.

[Anonymous]

I know this is probably stupid, but here goes. My 2 year old had all these symptoms last Saturday/Sunday. Fever, headaches (his eyes hurt), sensitivity to light. Since Monday, he only has runny nose and cough. It was just a bug, right? If it were menegitis, he would have gotten progressively worse over the week, right? I feel silly, but like pp I want to run wake him up to make sure he can nod his head! I know, I know, go to bed. But what do you think?

[Anonymous]

Sensitivity to light can be many other things.

I've always tried to test for this but haven't been sure that my method makes sense. I ask her what she sees on the ceiling.