measles

[puffling]

DD is 13 months and has not yet had the mmr jab. She's had a cold which developed to a fever which lasted several days.. We took her to the out of hours gp this morning as she woke screaming with pain. She'd also developed a big rash all over her trunk and back. The nurse thought it looked like a measles rash. It looks the same as pics on the net.Also she has a severe ear infection (they apparently often accompany measles.)
We're really scared that if she has it, complications will follow.
Does anyone's child have it or had it?
Does anyone know of any local outbreaks? We're in the north west?
Anywat, we're going to the doc's tomorrow and dp is on phone to NHS direct now. I'm just scared she'll get worse overnight.
Thanks so much for reading thisx

[DrMarthaMcMoo]

I have no advice for you, I'm afraid - just wanted to acknowledge your post. I hope she's OK. If you get really worried just call your GP and tell them it's an emergency - that's what they are there for.

[goingfor3]

My dd had it at 12 months and was only as ill as when she had chicken pox. She had a temp for a few days and a really sore throat, the gp thought initally it was a thraot infection, and then she had a rash and it was confirmed. Keep an eye on her like you would with any illness, complications are very rare. I hope she feels better soon.

[puffling]

Tnanks DMM and, goingfor3 that's reassuring.

[Londonmamma]

With these illnesses, the younger they get them the fewer complications there seem to be. Do insist on being seen by your GP - they should come and do a home visit because measles is a disease they have to report, to help monitor outbreaks.

Keep her cool, plenty of fluids, dark room as their eyes can be sore with it.
Ask your GP about vitamin A and if you can, give her blackcurrant juice as it is a good source of vit A, to help the eyes.

[puffling]

Thanks for your advice Londonmamma.

[gess]

If you get worried don't hesitate to call her but the serious complications are very rare (especially in a young child- it's post puberty that they tend to get more common and serious). Ear infections etc can be common with measles and it might be a time they want to treat with antibiotics (as measles dampens the immune system).

Give her lots of fluids and vitamin A if you can.

I have a book that was published in 1989- a faily helath encyclopaedia and it describes measles as an illness that can make the child feel wretched but is usually mild and self limiting with the majority of complications treated easily by antibiotocs. It's nowhere near as hysterical as the stuff you read these days. Measles is nasty in malnourished children but in developed countries the expectation is that it would be unpleasent but pass without incident.

Hope she's feeling better soon. It might be a bit late (they tend to come before the rash) but little white spots inside the mouth are diagnostis of measles.

[puffling]

Thanks Gess that's v. helpful

[PrettyCandles]

Complications are very rare. My brother, sister and I had it as children, as did most of our contemporaries, and I don't remember anyone developing complications. Everyone recovered completely, though several did have ear infections. It often starts with a cold-like illness.

I don't think you ought to take her to the GP. This is certainly a reasonable case to ask for a home visit.

[MrsWho]

Both my kids had it, dd1 was misadiagnosed at first as hers was so mild .Dd2 was ill and my Mam caught it too and was really ill.Both kids had had MMR.

Make sure you speak to GP tonight as they need to log it and will also prioritise you if you need to speak to someone again.If you take her to the surgery there will be vunerable people who could catch it and develop complications.

[puffling]

Thanks Prettycandles and Mrs Who.
Went to docs this morning. They didn't mention a home visit. We were supposed to have the appt in a special room away from other patients but the doc didn't bother to go there, so I had to go to his usual 1! He was interested in the ear infection (rightly so) but didn't seem fussed about the rash. I had to press him on that and then he reluctantly said, 'who knows, it could be German Measles? There's no way of finding out.' If they can't find out, then how do they log outbreaks?
Does anyone know if it's important for me to know what type of measles she has?

[gess]

The german measles and measles rashes can be similar, although the measles one is denser. When ds1 had rubella it looked like heat rash. Measles is more noticeable. I remember being very blotchy with it.

Um I'm quite shocked at your GP to be honest. It;s particularly important to know if your dd has rubella because if she does she should be kept away from pregnant women and any women in early pregnancy that she may have been in contact with just before would need to be told. Having said that the illness with rubella is usually very mild, so it doesn't sound like that.

The only way to cofirm measles (especially if you've missed the period of the kopliks spots in the mouth) is to send off a swab- the GP should have done that if there was a suggestion of measles.

Measles usually starts on the face and spreads down. That's quite characteristic. A non specific viral rash would be more all over at once.

[gess]

BT measles usually goes slight temp, cold like symptoms, cough, temp then goes up suddenly with the start of the rash. Cough can be barking, sore eyes etc.

[puffling]

Thanks Gess. All the symptoms have been measles ones e.g. cold then conjunctivitis, fever and hacking cough.
The doctor says it's not possible to swab her as the conjunctivitis etc. has stopped. He said,'You can't swab skin.' Well obviously, but can't he use her saliva? Or could they do a blood test? I'd like to know for our record and also to let people who we've been around know.

[gess]

Did a really quick google and first hit was this . Must say I thought throat swab was standard.

[MrsWho]

at GP, is there another one you could see?

When dd1 was misdiagnosed (just heat rash or allergy!) she wan't unwell so she did 2 days at pre-school before dd2 got diagnosed and then dd1 by association.GP was horrified aboutdd1 and we had to go and take her out half way through a session because of the risk of passing it on.

[PrettyCandles]

I'm fairly sure that measles can be diagnosed with a throat swab, and Rubella definitely by a blood test - possibly measles also by a blood test. Of course it's important to know which she has had! Anyone at risk must be informed if she's been in contact with them! My dad caught chicken pox from my dd when he was in his 70s - OK, it's not the same illness, but this was considered a major medical issue for him, potentially life-threatening. Had it not been detected early by a blood-test and treated, before he had developed symptoms, he could have died.

I'm deeply shocked at the GPs attitude.

[puffling]

Thanks Gess, Mrs Who and Pretty Candles.
Her rash has nearly gone now. Nursery are going to put up a notice about it for parents, but cos the doctor doesn't think it's important to let me know what the rash is, nursery won't be able to let parents know exactly what it was!
I'll take dd back to surgery friday and see if there's a blood test to confirm rubella or not.