MEASLES IN CHILDREN | UNPREDICTABLE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS

08/04/2023

Measles, or rubeola, is an acute infectious respiratory disease caused by the measles virus. It has an extremely high infection rate and is also a major cause of global mortality rate in children, despite the presence of vaccine’s effectiveness.

► Early symptoms of measles includes:

Fever (38-40 degree Celsius)
Dry cough
Runny nose
Sore throat
Conjunctivitis

At the same time, clusters of tiny white or red spots (also called Koplik spots) may appear in the children’s oral mucosa.

From the third to the fifth day of the infection, red rashes gradually spread from face to body. Dark red rashes turn brown till they completely disappear, leaving a specific type of dark spots on the skin, which is normally called “tiger stripes”.

► Measles is easily infected from person to person through:

Respiratory tract: breathing in the air carrying virus
Direct contact with fluid containing virus. It can be transmitted through droplets that shoot into the air when a person with measles sneezes or coughs.

People with measles could be infected 4 days before the rash eruption. It is most easily contagious when a patient has fever, runny nose and cough. People with a weak immune system due to other conditions (such as HIV and AIDS) can spread the measles virus until they recover.

► Serious complications of measles:

When virus enters the body, babies will have prolonged high fever, causing significant weakness in the immune system. Therefore, if measles in babies is not managed in time, it can lead to serious complications such as:

Otitis media (most common complication);
Bronchitis, laryngitis or severe pneumonia;
Ulcerative keratitis with possibility of blindness;
Acute encephalitis: After the rash eruption (1-15 days), children may experience symptoms such as drowsiness, coma, convulsion, headache, vomiting, nuchal stiffness;
Diarrhea and vomiting;
Latent tuberculosis recurs due to immunodeficiency.

► How to prevent measles in children?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children and adults get the measles vaccine for prevention.
For infants, the first measles vaccine dose should be given at 09 months old, and a booster dose at 15-18 months old.

Contact our hotline (028) 3910 9999 or send message to our Fanpage https://m.me/aih.com.vn to have more information and to schedule vaccinations for your children!

Pediatrics-Neonatology Department at the American Internation Hosiptal provides full range of pediatric examination and treatment services, including: General health check-up, vaccination, physical and mental development monitoring, nutrition consulting, and diagnostic and treatment services for illness.

The Pediatric outpatient area at AIH is divided into two separate areas: one for healthy children and one for sick children, with the purpose of separating patients to avoid cross-infection. When a child comes to the hospital with suspected symptoms of disease, he/she will be guided to a separate examination area. Therefore, disease can be triaged and isolated from the beginning.

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For checkup and consultation at AIH:

☎️ Hotline: (028) 3910 9999

🌏 Website: www.aih.com.vn

📍 Address: (Entrance from 199 Nguyen Hoang Street) No.6, Bac Nam 3 Street, An Phu Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City.