childhood diseases -
measles

Measles is one of the M’s in MMR

What is measles?

Measles is a highly infectious viral disease, which tends to appear in epidemics every two to three years. It usually occurs in the spring, and mainly affects children. Measles is the most contagious disease that we know, and is passed from child to child by coughs and sneezes. It is so contagious, that it could be caught by someone in a doctor’s waiting room two hours after a child with measles had been there.

Eight to fifteen days after your child comes into contact with measles, her symptoms will be like those of a cold with a high fever. Small red spots with white centres (Koplik spots) may appear on the inside of her cheeks. Her temperature will fall for a day and then rise. A blotchy, slightly elevated pink rash will appear on the third to fifth day of measles. You’ll first see the rash behind your child’s ears, then on her face and then elsewhere. The rash lasts for three to five days. Your child is infectious throughout this period.

In most cases the symptoms soon subside but complete recovery may take two to four weeks. In a few cases the rash is accompanied by a severe bout of fever, and your child’s eyes can be very irritated by the light. This indicates that complications have arisen (see below for complications).

The most likely age of contracting measles is from one to six years old and, if your child gets measles once, she will have immunity for life, and will not get measles again.

What is the treatment for measles?

You can treat mild forms of measles at home. If complications arise, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics or send your child to hospital if the complications are severe.

What are the dangers if my child catches measles?

You will see many different figures concerning the likelihood of complications from measles. Before we list those complications bear in mind two facts:

1. The Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties provides a whole list of measles side effects, and then states that you can expect “complete recovery in rich countries – but it [measles] is a serious mortal disease in poor countries.”

2. Many of the more serious cases of measles in the developed world are seen in children with weak immune systems.

The Complications

Death

The last child to die from acute measles in England & Wales, was a two-year old child in 1992.

Severe complications

Encephalitis. This is a dangerous swelling of the brain that could appear seven to ten days after the measles rash.
SSPE. This is a fatal complication which can occur years after your child has had measles. SSPE occurs in one in a million cases of measles.
Brain infection,
Convulsions
Blindness,
Bacterial infection,
Pneumonia,
Bronchitis
Ear infections
Diarrhoea