Tough future for children who survive meningitis

A THIRD of children who survive meningitis will be left with “devastating” long-term conditions, new research has suggested.

One in three will suffer after-effects including mental health problems, epilepsy and learning difficulties, the study found.

One in five children will have anxiety or behavioural disorders, while young survivors are five times more likely to have speech and communication problems, according to research from University College London.

The disease will also impact on long and short-term memory, with some children being left with a borderline low IQ, it said.

Sufferers were five times more likely to have a significant hearing impairment, with 2.4 per cent of survivors having bilateral hearing loss that required a cochlear implant.

The risk of amputation was also increased, the study said.

Sue Davie, chief executive of the Meningitis Trust, which commissioned the study, said: “The hidden, yet devastating after-
effects of meningitis can often be dismissed.

“We hope that the new findings will encourage education and health professionals to recognise these, as well as the noticeable physical after-effects of meningitis, and push for children to receive the support they need and deserve.

“In addition, we hope that parents will feel more empowered by these findings.

“They need to be confident when advising professionals that their child might be suffering from the after-effects of meningitis in order to change perceptions and ensure meningitis is fully investigated as a possible cause.”