1 in 3 children who survive meningitis will suffer after-effects

New research published online first in The Lancet Neurology highlights the long-term, often hidden, after-effects of meningitis in children. The study, led by Professor Russell Viner at the UCL Institute of Child Health, shows that 1 in 3 children who have experienced meningococcal group B disease (MenB), the most common type of bacterial meningitis in the UK, will be left with after-effects. Bacterial meningitis and septicaemia affect around 3,400 people in the UK each year, and approximately half (1,700) of these are children. The new research, commissioned by national charity the Meningitis Trust, looked at the cognitive and psychological burden of MenB, as well as the major physical and neurological disabilities in children as young as three years old. Victims were found to be significantly more likely to experience mental health problems with one in five suffering anxiety or behavioural disorders. In addition, meningitis was found to impact on an individual's memory - both long and short term - and leave survivors significantly more likely to experience epilepsy. The study also identified potential learning problems.