Experience with time frames for serious infections in children.

[Itslittlek]

Hey all,

I had a question that people who have found themselves in the awful and unimaginable situation of having a child with meningitis/sepsis or other similar serious infection might be able to help offer some clarity over something I can never seem to find online.

In the time leading to your child becoming seriously unwell, how long was the lead up period - for example first showing a raised temp to then more extreme symptoms that really raised an alarm? And further more - did you give calpol etc that showed an initial improvement but then the symptoms rapidly increased?

This is where (as I am now) find it hard to relax because when your child only gets their first temperature after they’ve been put to bed, you feel like you need to check and check and check which of course is the right thing to do. My little girl has been off colour today but still active/jolly/ eating etc just very tired and lacking her normal self, nothing about the day has made me untowardly worried but when the fever begins at night you feel like you can’t relax as you aren’t witnessing behaviour that would raise a red flag for a vigilant parent, which I most definitely am.

In others’ experiences, is the lead up to a serious infection similar to that 12 hour window, or is it more easily identifiable by being much more rapid. Say over 4 hours instead giving absolutely no doubt in your mind it was very very different from a typical virus etc.

Sorry, I hope that makes sense, it’s just something there is no clarity on anywhere....and I thought the best people to advise would of been through it.

All knowledge like that shared amongst parents is so helpful and gratefully received.

Thanks in advance.

Well typically the fever comes last for sepsis and meningitis. First for my ds was the stiff neck and light sensitivity. Next illness was a prolonged fever that wouldn’t let up after 9 days. That one was scary although he was a happy boy for both illnesses and neither caused him any harm because of my raging anxiety heightened senses.

Thanks for the reply...so you mean there was a 9 day illness before diagnosis/hospitalisation?

My son had a serious chest infection when he was 2 ... I kept going to the doctor who fobbed me off saying it was a virus. After 3 days he went limp in my arms I called an ambulance and he was admitted to hospital and put on a antibiotic drip. After he had recovered I made a formal complain to the surgery about the doctor .... a mother knows when her child is seriously ill ... use you instinct and don't be fobbed off by doctors.

your instinct

It's so variable it's unwise to rely on specific time scales. Some children start with a fever in the day, respond to calpol and seem happy for a few hours only to develop a rash and septicaemia a few hours later. Others have quite a long period of days unwell with intermittent fever and then deteriorate rapidly. I dealt with a child who was fine in the morning and by 7pm was terribly ill.

So what I'm saying is all you can do is check for the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia careful and regularly through the illness. The vaccine should prevent some forms of meningitis.