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Long term effects of pneumococcal meningitis

“Long-term outcomes of pneumococcal meningitis in childhood and adolescence” - European Journal of Pediatrics - By Deborah Christie, Russell M. Viner, Kyle Knox, Pietro G. Coen, Han Wang, Haitham El Bashir, Rosa Legood, Bharat C. Patel and Robert Booy.

A group of researchers funded by MRF to look at the long term outcomes of pneumococcal meningitis have recently published a paper in the European Journal of Pediatrics with some of their results.

The study, headed by Professor Robert Booy, at St Barts & London Royal School of Medicine, looked at various physical, psychological and cognitive effects that children and teenagers were left with around 6 years after having pneumococcal meningitis.

The results show that children who had had pneumococcal meningitis tend to have lower literacy and numeracy skills, emotional and behavioural problems at school and slightly lower IQ scores. These problems were also more apparent in children who had hearing impairment as a result of the infection. You can access a full abstract of the paper here.

Professor Robert Booy said “This detailed research demonstrates that pneumococcal meningitis can affect the lives of children and their families in many important ways including causing severe deafness and intellectual disability. This study is one of the very few to comprehensively assess children and illustrated significant deficits in educational, social and psychological domains. This kind of research provides a strong economic justification for the immunisation program and its ongoing application.”

MRF continues to fund research into both pneumococcal prevention (see two of our current projects by Dr Rob George and Dr Abiodun Ogunniyi) as well as into long term outcomes of meningitis and septicaemia (see Professor Garralda’s current projects).

We have also been conducting our own members survey of people’s experiences, confirming some of the problems highlighted in this research. It all serves to highlight the importance of the pneumococcal vaccine as part of the UK childhood immunisation schedule.

Gill Currie
MRF Research Officer

Posted in About meningitis & septicaemia by Gill Currie on 27 April 2011

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9 comments

Posted on 08 May 2012

Comment by michael

I had pnuemococcal meningitis in January 2012 aged 33, I have been left deaf in one ear and have many issues caused by this diesease, my vision has also been affected, My vision bounces when I walk and I cannot focus on objects in the distance. I still get severe headaches and get very tired and need to take regular naps throughout the day. My balance is gone, I walk like a drunk and my head still feels drunk most of the time.

Posted on 10 February 2012

Comment by Ian Brownlee

I had bacterial meningitis in 1941when I was just 3 years old, picked up , it was suggested, by putting my mouth on the tap of a water fountain in the local park, in Pinner, Middx.

Luckily my mother was an SRN and our GP sat with me at nights to help. He was also attached to the key local Northolt Spitfire fighter pilot station and managed to obtain a supply of M & B tablets, the early anti-biotics then not available to civilians, but used as a trial with the armed forces before being released to the civilian population.

I survived despite a temperature of 110F. A girl in my road, who also picked it up, died.

Now 74 I have lead a normal, pretty healthy and successful life and the only problems I have been aware of are an inability to deal with complexity and O level Maths. Maybe had other difficulties of which I was unaware. Willing to provide further info if needed. I feel very lucky!

Posted on 13 November 2011

Comment by nichole smith

my son contracted the disease at 6 months old he was in intensive care for a week wen he was allowed to leave the hospital he started to bang his head off his coat wall & floor he is now 7 & hurts himself & others alot he has been put in a school that can cope with him as he is very violent in july 2011 we were told that he had oppositional deifaint disorder & that it was due to poor parenting
i am now fighting to keep my son as childrens services want him put in to respite care my son was a happy baby untill he got this disease i love my son know matter what but know one will listen when i say the disease has done this to my son they wont even rule it out i also had gbs wen i was pregnant
if anyone can help me find my answer or at least rule it out i would be greatful

Posted on 17 September 2011

Comment by jade fink

I am the mother of a child that was diagnosed at the age of 6. My son suddenly became very ill at school at 9am and by 11am he was lethargic and had no idea who I was. I was told by his pediatrician that he was very sick and may not make it through the night. I immediately broke down. I crawled in the bed with my son holding him until I cried myself to sleep. The next morning he was transferred to a children's hospital and placed in intensive care of 21 days. I thought my son made a full recovery until recently when he has began having learning issues in school as well as he now seems to have some heart issues as well. I would love for him to take place in a study, if I could save at least one parent from going through what I went through it would all be worth it. My son is a very active little boy that is so full of life and by looking at him you would never know anything was wrong but inside he is a very doubtful and self conscious boy.

Posted on 24 June 2011

Comment by frankie ellis

hi my name is frankie lynnon july 4th of 2007 me and my sis ter were planning a bb-q w w sitting out side on the patio playen a game of dominoe s also this was th hottest day in july so moven right along i had told my sister that i ha a headache and that i was going to lay lay down for a bit but time passes on and my sis said wo my sis has been sleep a long long time so she says i going to check on my sis she shouldnt be sleep thisd long then she said that i didnt have a fever and the my mom came home and ask me honey would do you want to go to the hospital i dont know what happened this is what they told me i have no memoire of what ever happened and i still dont know til this day ok so my mom called the abulance and i was confused they were asking family members did i or was i on any type of drugs no drugs no symptoms which could tell if i had a fever nothing but that night when the dr. from gardene mormial called and told my mom that there is nothing that they can do that i was a very very sicl lady that i had pneumococal bacteria menegities my dr. said that i had so much bacteria on my brain and my spine that i was not going to make it very sick i was in a coma and i was straped down for 5 days in the coma no one couls come visit me because the dr. said that when my mom come to visit it would agitate me and i was tryen to get out of the restraints by the sound of voicesit is still a mystery to me and it left me with nerve damages and merrroei loss and i dont feel the same as i was beforew i had that ugly bacteria i dont like the effects that it has left me with ...thank you very much for this site i have been lokking for this site for a long time ..also i would like to help and become a spoke person for this please can you help with some information . and i am just knoe learning how to spell agin.

Posted on 16 May 2011

Comment by Julia G

I am 22 and had pneumococcal meningitis when I was 2. I luckily do not have any of the effects described above (although I've never had an IQ test haha), but I'm about to graduate with an engineering degree so I don't think that was hindered either. I do have other health issues and wonder if they are linked to having had the disease. I would also be willing to take a part in any study, along with Lorraine, to help others understand long term effects of the disease.

Posted on 27 April 2011

Comment by Lea Cudby

I am recovering from pneumococcal meningitis aged 48. I feel it would be helpful and interesting to know the effects and after effects in adults and their experiences while being cared for in hospital. I felt alone and unsafe in hospital and not aware that my age group could even catch meningitis.

Posted on 27 April 2011

Comment by Becky wood

I had meningitis at age 29. I'm 40 now and still have after affects, or at least I think its caused by the meningitis. It starts with a pain at the bottom of my neck and continues up the back of my skull. My skull becomes numb and tingles. it scares the hell out of me. I never want to go thru that again! its the only time in my life I wanted to die!

Posted on 27 April 2011

Comment by Lorraine Cooper

As an adult post-pneumococcal, I would be interested in seeing the effects on others of my age, and those further post-pneumococcal. While I understand the reasons for focus on younger people, and more recent cases, I think there is also value in looking at the longer term outcomes, and would be interested in taking part should such a study take place. I feel this would enable families and sufferers to prepare for, and come to terms with the real impact of the disease.