My four children have measles.

[Spidermama]

I'm almost at the end of it now.

My 7 year old got it first and was ill throughout half term. The other three have just had the week off school with it and are still loafing around on the sofas at the tail end.

We've lived like vampires in darkened rooms.
During the worst days (probably about 2 days per child) I had to carry them upstairs to the toilet, hold bottled water to their mouths to get them to drink, and DS2 didn't eat anything for four whole days.

We're on the home stretch now and they just need fattening up. It has been a very bonding, intense experience and I'm really glad they have now got natural, lifelong immunity.

I hesitated before starting this thread. I have talked about my childrens measles on the vax thread but I wondered if I could have a measles thread which didn't turn into a vax debate. I also thought the subject deserves a thread of it's own because it's a really big deal for me.

None the less this is such a full on, eminal parenting moment for me, I would hate to let it pass without sharing it with MN. It would feel somehow wrong, like concealing stuff from my family almost.

So DS3 bounced back very quickly. He was flat out and barely able to whisper one day - the next je was out on the trampoline in full gold cape superhero gear. DD1 is also bouncing back nicely. DS2 and DS4 are a bit slower but showing improvement by the hour.

DH is away by the way so I'm here on my own.

i wish it was a more predictable illness. Some children seem to get it badly but not horribly, and then some children end up badly damaged. That is the great worry.

Spidermama, so there are around 40 cases in your area at the moment? Have there been as many as that before or is it definitely on the increase around your way?

yes lockets we are in lewes/Brighton so not far. I'm still waiting for nos 5 and 6 to get the pox

OG last I heard (over a week ago) there were 37. Now my kids have it and I know there are several more kids at their school so it has to be pusing 50 by now I would have thought.

Kitty I didn't know you were in Lewes. I'd have had you round for tea last week when they were contagious had I known!

Lockets how's it going in Horsham? Do you like it there?

just out if interest spider, did they confirm it, or was it obvious??

when DD2 had it, I didn;t have an awful lot of sympathy the first doc I went to (she claimed the classic 'just a virus' line), but when I saw my own GP he took a mouth swab (which confirmed it) which pissed on the lady docs fireworks (evil then, altho not for a while as obviously nursing DD2).

I only ask as wondering if that is still common practise (DD2 is now 13, so it has been a good while since she had it!)

oh poo!!!! Are you nearby then Spidermama?

Psycho the doctor failed to diagnose. He said 'it's a viral infection' then hours later ds looked like this so it was pretty obvious. I even said to the doctor 'Just curious - How have you ruled out measles?' He looked kind of pannicky, asked me if I was a health professional, then assured me it wasn't measles!!

As it's notifiable I had to ring and talk to another doc to say, 'look, it's patently obviously measles and now all my others have it. Are you happy to consider yourself notified?'

Of course it's tough because it means they'd have to do a home visit which they're very, very reluctant to do despite their massive wage packets dedication to the job of healing.

So now they say they're going to send some saliva testing thing so I can get a sample and get it back to them for the purposes of notification.

Kitty I'm in Brighton. I'm often in Lewes rummaging in the old furniture shops.

I'm glad to hear your DCs are on the mend, it must have been awful for them (and you) .

I'm a bit at people wishing their Dcs would catch measles though. You can't predict the outcome.

The current outbreak of measles in Brighton has had a fair amount of press, eg here

It is the first time in ten years that the disease has been transmitted within the county (apparently).

Statistically, one in 15 children will develop complications.

@ the doc being so blase, altho my first one was.

I think partly because they simply are not able to recognise it anymore due to its comparitive (sp?) rarity.......altho that might change if it is getting so virilant now.

((please excuse typos........not overly 100% myself at the moment, and spelling is crap at my best of times))

MP, is it really that high??

NHS Literature: "The complications of measles affect one in every 15 children. The complications include chest infections, fits, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and brain damage."

Lots of places cite "1 in 15 die from it" but I think that "1 in 15 develop serious complications" is more accurate.

Around 1 in 3 will be hospitalised nowadays (from what I've read).

My great uncle got the encephalitis complication, which was what led to his death.

I remember measles very well I was 10 and I was so lucky I just seemed to sail through it albeit with a very high fever. I remember my aunts and Grandparents telling my Mother how strong I will be when I get through it. I must say they were right I am like an ox lol. Aren't there studies that show you are less likely to contract so many various other things after having Measles?

Such an unpredictable illness though. It is v hard to know what to do for the best. DD has had the single jab M and will have Rubella in Sept. As there is no Mumps available worldwide I suppose that is something I may have to nurse her through at some point. It was an agonising decision, especially that she had a really awful reaction to the Men C jab and I was sick with worry about it all.

I totally respect all parents decisions and firmly believe all children are completely different and therefore should have individual consideration for all vaccinations.

This is an interesting parliamentary briefing paper on measles: "The highly infectious nature of measles meant that before vaccination became widespread, the UK was subject to regular epidemics, with cases frequently exceeding half a million in a single year."

WHO Briefing on Measles here: "Measles is a leading cause of death among young children even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available to prevent the disease. In 2007, there were 197 000 measles deaths globally - nearly 540 deaths every day or 22 deaths every hour."

"Complications associated with measles cause most deaths. Complications are more common in children under the age of five or adults over the age of 20. The most serious complications include blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. As high as 10% of measles cases result in death among populations with high levels of malnutrition and a lack of adequate health care."

I don't know where you get the 15% statistic MP but I've learned to be very wary of the stats on this issue.

I've seen that news story. In fact I work with the reporter who did the piece. He called me the day before asking for the number of the Informed Parent and then asking if I'd be in the report to explain why I'm anti MMR for my kids. Given that DS had measles, and dh was here to look after him, I said 'yes'. They didn't call me on the day though. Instead they had a doctor saying 'The fears are all groundless for God's sake get the jab' and a mum saying, erm, 'the fears are all groundless for God's sake get the jab. And by the way it's your fault that there's an outbreak.'

Fantastic bit of journalism!

In fact I was going to complain, but I was too busy nursing my four through measles. I'll certainly take it up with the reporter when next I see him and find out which orders from above prevented decent and balance coverage.

No wonder I'm having to endure whispers and curtain twitching with this scurrilous misinformation being pedalled and convincing some of the brightest people among us that the risks of measles are far more dire than the risks of the jab and those who make an informed decision to forgo the MMR are putting the wider community at risk.

WHO also says this: "All children in developing countries diagnosed with measles should receive two doses of vitamin A supplements, given 24 hours apart. This can help prevent eye damage and blindness. Vitamin A supplements have been shown to reduce the number of deaths from measles by 50%."

I guess that blindness from measles is related to vitamin A deficiency.

I am pretty cheesed off that only one person even acknowledged my mentioning (yesterday) of my Dad's wee boy dying from it.

Easier to ignore the potential consequences I guess?

Shame for those who have to live with them.

I would never want to see immunisations enforced, but people need to be fully aware that it is a potential killer, not politely ignore those who have lost relatives.

scary stuff...

I also see that several other posters have lost people in their families.

It is rare to die from measles complications, but it does happen.

"No wonder I'm having to endure whispers and curtain twitching with this scurrilous misinformation being pedalled and convincing some of the brightest people among us that the risks of measles are far more dire than the risks of the jab and those who make an informed decision to forgo the MMR are putting the wider community at risk."

I think you need to be careful how you word things. I know you think that the NHS puts our "scurrilous misinformation" but perhaps others disagree...

However, you made a decision that you think is right for your family. You need to understand the family of the immuno-supressed child who attends your child's school might think that your decision is wrong for them.

Let's get this in perspective MP.
So the WHO says a million children a year die from measles. It also says that TEN TIMES than number of women die in pregnancy and childbirth.
Did any doctors warn you about that? Are their leaflets in the waiting rooms? Did you worry at all about these alarming stats before deciding to get pregnant?