Measles In Babies - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Measles is a highly contagious disease that is quite common. This infection in babies leads to severe rashes on the body. While measles cn occur in people of all age groups, babies suffer the most due to the severe manifestation of symptoms. In addition, since it is a viral infection, there is no medication for measles. Instead, you have to just wait it out till the symptoms reduce and the baby starts to feel better.

What Causes Measles In Babies?

Measles is known to be a viral disease caused by the Rubeola virus. This virus spreads through the air, thereby, making the disease highly transmittable. When someone who contracted this virus sneezes or coughs, the virus gets spreads into the air. The virus in a cough or sneeze droplets can stay active for a few hours in the air, or on a surface.

Once your baby happens to get in touch with these droplets, he or she could catch measles. This can happen even by coming into contact with an infected person. Your baby could contract measles if he or she happens to share a room with a person infected by this virus or happens to be in the room even up to 2 hours after that person has left. That is why it is said that do not take babies to public places, especially malls and auditoriums until their immunity level is better.

What Are The Symptoms Of Measles In Babies?

Measles might start showing off its symptoms right before and usually before even causing any kind of rashes on the baby’s body. The disease starts to kick in with signs of a common cold, a runny nose, and a sore throat. Followed by this, there could be other symptoms too. If your infant has an unsettling cough with a runny nose, you should actually start taking more care.

Another symptom is Conjunctivitis in which there is an infection that causes pain and redness in the eye and even causes some fever in the baby. After some time, the baby develops rashes which soon turn reddish brown color. And these continue to become noticeable near the forehead as well as arms, legs, torso, and feet also. After that, in some cases, you can also observe high temperatures.

How Is Measles In Infants Diagnosed?

Doctors may diagnose your baby as having measles with a physical examination and by taking a note of symptoms such as cold, running nose and fever. Rashes are the most common telltale signs of this disease. In addition, the doctor may ask about any exposure to people who have has measles.

How Is Measles Treated?

Measles may be called incurable, however, there are a few ways for its treatment, like:

Immunization

If the baby is over one year old is diagnosed with measles, the MMR vaccine is administrated within 72 hours. If your baby is under 12 months, IG (immunoglobulin) injection is given, this injection is even safe for children under 6 months as well.

Antibiotics

Depending on the severity, sometimes doctors suggest a course of antibiotics to shield the baby from further infections and complications.

Analgesic Medication

Pain relief medication like paracetamol will help to relieve the fever and pain that accompany measles. However, medications must be given only after consulting with the pediatrician. Never self-medicate, especially in the case of babies.

Vitamin Supplements

It is very important to increase the immunity of the baby to combat any type of infection. Do you know the inadequate intake of vitamin A is one of the risk factors to contract measles? Therefore, vitamin supplements will be suggested by the doctor as part of the measles treatment.

What Are The Complications Of Measles In Babies?

Measles is a disease that you need to take care of to be away from your infant. Some of the complications that it causes are:

Pneumonia: It is the most commonly occurring complication in an infant with measles and the virus adds to a fatal risk of pneumonia in babies with less immunity.
Bronchitis: It is an infection caused by bacteria which is caused in the lungs’ bronchiole tubes and the baby will feel pain while breathing.
Upper Respiratory Infections: These infections always include the larynx as well as the trachea and cause breathing problems also.
Encephalitis: Even though quite rare (1/1000), Encephalitis alas swelling of the brain is another most critical complication of measles in babies. It can often lead to seizures and even coma.

Can You Prevent Measles Through Vaccination?

It is found that nine out of 10 unvaccinated babies who get exposed to the measles virus will catch it. Therefore, the simple answer to I this question is- Yes, you can prevent measles through vaccination. An excellent means to safeguard your baby from measles is to obtain the measles-mumps-rubella shot (known as the MMR shot).

It is suggested that all children get the MMR shot. It is a great single-handed prevention measure not only for measles but also for rubella and mumps.

When Should My Baby Get The Measles Vaccine?

This special MMR vaccine is always just limited to a baby who is at least 12 months of age, in short, at least a year old. While the doctor provides the vaccine for the first time around 12-15 months of age, the second time, the vaccine is provided when the baby is about 4-6 years of age. Both doses are important for preventing measles.

Can A Baby Get Measles Even After Vaccination?

The vaccination imparts immunity equal to 90% and the next doses impart about 99% measles immunity. So, it is highly unlikely that your vaccinated baby may contracted measles. However, there may be rare cases that despite vaccination a baby can get measles and the symptoms in cases can be relatively milder.

How Can Parents Help Prevent Measles In Babies?

Here are a few things the parents can do to help prevent measles in babies:

Drinking Breast Milk

Most of the time, if the mother has ever had measles ever in her life, the disease might not be passed to the baby because of the automatic passage of the immunity naturally to the baby via her milk and thus, the baby obtains the antibodies in the breast milk, which is highly effective as it imparts a shield that fights measles in the baby.

Avoid Risky Situations

One must always make sure that Measles get spread in a crowded environment, especially in the spring and winter season. At this time, you should be more cautious and keep your baby in a better place.

Maintain Hygiene

The virus of measles can be on any kind of surface for about 2-3 hours and infects the humans or babies that come in contact with them. So, you should always make sure that everything is kept clean and hygienic.

FAQ’s

1. How Long Do Measles Last In Babies?

Infection with measles might linger for many weeks. Typically, symptoms appear 7–14 days following exposure to the virus. The rash gradually disappears from the face, then the thighs, and finally the feet. As other symptoms of the sickness subside, the cough and discoloration or peeling of the skin at the site of the rash may persist for up to ten days.

2. Can Babies Survive Measles?

Babies usually make a full recovery after contracting measles. Unfortunately, some newborns will have complications. In rare cases, even common complications may be life-threatening, so it’s important to monitor your child closely. Besides, babies with measles often experience febrile convulsions or seizures.

3. Which Medicine Is Used To Cure Measles?

Measles is caused by a virus. So there’s no specific medical treatment for it. The virus has to run its course. Once infected with measles, there are no treatment options Treatment consists of measures taken to ease symptoms, as well as treating or avoiding complications.

4. How Long Does The Measles Rash Last?

The typical duration of a measles rash is seven days. The rash progressively goes away, beginning with the face and finishing with the thighs and feet.

5. Do Measles Leave Scars?

Two viruses, rubella and rubeola, cause measles. Both viruses cause rashes of varying intensity. In both cases, the rash zits fade away, leaving little white scars.

6. How Do You Get Rid Of Measles Marks?

There are some effective home remedies like red sandalwood paste to get rid of measles scar.

Measles In Babies – Causes, Symptoms And Treatment