Measles, MMR Uptake & Nurseries, Meningitis in Babies, GM Spray & Tooth Decay, Asthma

MEASLES

Can you recognise a measles rash?

Fifty children in south London have been either diagnosed with measles or suspected of having the infection (read the Independent report). As this has occurred in an area with low uptake of MMR there is real concern that an epidemic may start – although you should bear in mind that there are always occasional cases of measles even with almost full vaccination as children less than 13 months cannot be vaccinated with MMR. A report in this week’s British Medical Journal adds to this debate – it comes from the Royal Free Hospital and looks at 373 children with typical and atypical autism diagnosed over a 20-year period. They did not find a sudden rise in autism diagnosis after the MMR was introduced in 1988 and conclude that their research provides ‘no support for an MMR associated ‘new variant’ form of autism with developmental regression and bowel problems and further evidence against the involvement of MMR vaccine in the initiation of autism’. Read the report from the BMJ. For a discussion of the scientific papers on both sides of the MMR debate see the NeLH: 'Hitting the Headlines' Archive provided by the NHS. You can also read our summary of the MMR controversy and a discussion of the individual vaccines at MMR and also see our article on measles, where we show you a picture of a child’s measles rash to help you recognise it.

MMR UPTAKE & NURSERIES

Is your nursery safe?

Parents in areas with low measles uptake will be warned when the MMR vaccination rate at their nurseries falls below the recommended levels. This will have particular importance for families with younger children at home as measles in the first year of life is more likely to lead to the fatal progressive brain damage of SSPE– a rare complication of measles that comes on several years after the measles infection. Children under 13 months cannot be vaccinated against measles with the MMR and the single vaccine although licensed from 9 months is not particularly effective at this young age. Read a report in the Independent. What will you do if your child’s nursery tells you that the level of protection is falling? Would you keep your child from school? Would you encourage other mothers to vaccinate or advise against it? Let us know on our message boards.

MENINGITIS IN BABIES

Four week old baby dies of meningitis after misdiagnosis

It’s meningitis season again and headlines like this strike fear into the hearts of all mothers of young babies. NHS Direct is being blamed for not taking account of the baby’s young age and suggesting that it might be colic. (Read this article from the Times). It is terribly difficult to diagnose meningitis in small babies as the cardinal sign of meningitis, a fever, may be absent or not very high in small babies; as they become increasingly unwell they may even feel cold if you touch their hands and feet. This baby did have a fever and was obviously uncomfortable and unwell – the two things that make you definitely think of meningitis.

If your baby is very unwell take them to your doctor or casualty department and insist on being seen – because the early stages of meningitis are very similar to illnesses such as ‘flu the child may need to be seen several times before a diagnosis can be made. Similarly any child who has an unexplained febrile convulsion may have underlying meningitis. Could you diagnose meningitis in your baby or child – do you know what the rash looks like and when it appears? Did you know that you can have meningitis without the typical rash? Read our article on meningitis so you feel confident and informed and never be afraid to pester your doctor if you feel your child is ill.

The new meningitis A vaccination has been very effective in cutting deaths from this particular disease but meningitis B is still killing babies and teenagers and may be on the increase.

GM SPRAY PREVENTS TOOTH DECAY

Or so the headlines told us this week.

It is known that dental decay is caused by bacteria and aggravated by sugar (on which they feed and convert to acid which damages the teeth) and plaque (which harbours bacteria). The American Association for the Advancement of Science has heard that a five minute treatment could protect teeth for life. The spray contains a form of a bacteria called Streptococcus Mutans which is known to cause tooth decay and the GM bacteria has been modified so that it does not produce the lactic acid from sugar and so the enamel is not damaged and the teeth do not decay. There will inevitably be a lot of controversy about using genetically modified bacteria on children and the effect on the environment but the spray or mouthwash is still at the research stage – read about it in the Telegraph. Could the biannual visit to the dentist be a thing of the past? Or would it just enable our children to eat more sugary foods? Would you let your child be sprayed? Let us know on our message boards.

CAR FUMES CAUSE ASTHMA

A report from a team led by Dr. Rob McConnell at the University of Southern California has found that children who exercise in polluted areas are three times more likely than children in unpolluted areas to develop asthma. This is what most parents suspected but what can you do if you live in a city? Dr McConnell suggests that on days when air pollution levels are high children should ‘limit prolonged outdoor exertion’. See our section for more information on asthma.