Symptoms of measles in children

Measles is one of the most contagious childhood infections. The virus instantly dies in the environment, but is easily transmitted by airborne droplets. Disease is fraught with complications, which include:

Most often, young children are affected, or adults over 20 years old. Measles in children under the age of almost does not happen, since babies are protected by the mother's immunity. However, if she did not face this virus, even the baby is prone to infection. Most adults have a measurable immune system.

Periods of the disease and their manifestations

In order to understand how measles begins in children, it is necessary to understand that the disease develops in 4 stages. Each of them has its own characteristics.

The incubation period lasts approximately 3 weeks. This is the time from the moment the body meets the virus to the first signs of measles in children. The virus multiplies in tissues and then gets into the blood. Children become infectious by the end of this period.

The second period is called catarrhal. Its duration is up to 4 days. The first symptoms of measles in children appear:

At this stage, an experienced pediatrician can notice in children one of the main signs of measles-white spots on the mucous membrane of the mouth. They resemble a manga and it is through them that you can diagnose the disease even before the appearance of the rash. This will start treatment and isolate the patient from peers.

Then begins the period of rashes . This is how the measles manifest in children at this stage:

For measles a typical appearance from the top down. Those. first she covers the face, then the trunk, hands and feet. The illness that occurred during this period becomes the most infectious. By the end of the stage, the general condition begins to improve.

The last is the period of pigmentation . The rash starts to come off, and in its place there are spots of cyanotic color. At this stage, the symptoms of measles in children are decreasing, the temperature is normalized, cough and runny nose pass completely. By the end of 2 weeks, the skin is completely cleansed.

Features of the disease

Measles do not always occur in a typical form. It also has atypical forms:

  1. Mitigated measles is characteristic of those children who received a dose of immunoglobulin (injected to those who were in contact with the patient), has an erased clinical picture, all periods are shortened.
  2. The abortive form begins as well as the typical measles, but by about 3 days all the symptoms abruptly go away.
  3. The erased form of measles is difficult to diagnose, since there is no rash with it, only a small cough is observed.

In the fight against the disease, drugs for symptomatic treatment are used. The organism itself copes with the virus. It is important to monitor the full nutrition of the patient, as well as take a complex of vitamins. Ill children have lifelong immunity.

Also, attention should be paid to the prevention of the disease. First, children with signs of illness should not attend an educational institution. Secondly, protection against measles for children provides a vaccination, which must be carried out in accordance with the adopted calendar. But, if antibodies in the blood are not developed, then infection is possible. Symptoms of measles in vaccinated children in this case are no different from those who did not receive the vaccine. If the immunity was still formed, but lost by the time of infection, the disease proceeds in an erased form.

If you suspect a measles, especially if you have been in contact with an infected person, you need to call a pediatrician. Because only the doctor knows exactly how to determine the measles in a child.