Carina Stathis Daily Mail Australia
Updated Apr 10, 2023 01:39, Apr 10, 2023 01:42
- Mom noticed small red marks on baby’s feet
- It was an early sign of meningococcal disease
Recently, a mother who noticed small red marks on her baby’s leg took immediate action and took her baby to the hospital.
And she was lucky because she had a rash “Doesn’t turn white” with pressure – an early sign of meningococcal bacterial disease that can be fatal if not treated promptly.
A small bruise on an infant’s leg, which could easily have been mistaken for a bruise or a bruise, was a symptom of a deadly disease. This is what my mother learned in first aid class.
Australian parenting group Tiny Hearts Education shared this woman’s story on Instagram to warn other parents about the first warning signs that they need to be taken seriously.
Other symptoms of meningococcal disease in infants and children include Fever, nausea, drowsiness, nervousness, feeling very tired or sluggish, and diarrhea.
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If spots appeared, Tiny Hearts encouraged parents to “use a clear glass and roll it over the rash” to test if the rash “turns white.”
“If the rash turns white, it means it has turned white.
“If the rash doesn’t turn white, it means there is bleeding under the skin and there are tests to be done to rule out something serious causing this.”
What makes meningococci so dangerous is the fact that blood “leaks” under the skin instead of where it should be.
To demonstrate this, we stuck an ink needle into a small rectangular piece of solid gel. The gel represents the body tissue, and the ink represents the “clogged” blood.
Other moms thanked Tiny Hearts for sharing life-saving information, and some shared their own horror stories.
‘thank you! I don’t know what a non-whitening rash is, but I’ve seen it talked about on a regular basis and this has really helped,” she commented, one.
“As a mother of thrombocytopenic purpura (a blood disorder), this is very important to look out for your little ones who can’t assert themselves!!”
A third contributor writes: throat!
“I wouldn’t have thought to take him without your page, thank you.”
Left untreated, the disease can lead to death within hours.
Each year in Australia, meningococcal infections cause 700-800 hospitalizations and 35-40 deaths (10 in children aged 0-4).
According to the Immunization Coalition, the disease is transmitted within households and through close, long-term intimate contact and can spread through infected secretions from the back of the nose and throat.
Teenagers have the highest carriage rates, peaking at 19 years of age, thus playing an important role in transmission.
Vaccination is the best way to prevent meningococcal disease.
