When this disease starts, the person feels shivering with cold and then small white spots appear in the mouth, then it converts into red spots. The rashes begin and quickly spread to the upper body, back and legs.

If the babies whose mothers are vaccinated against the measles then the babies do not have this disease and if they are not vaccinated then there are more chances of having this disease in new born babies.

There are 55,622 cases of measles reported in US during the period 1989 and 1991 and the percentage was about 24 percent.

CAUSES OF MEASLES IN BABIES

When the babies are born, measles is caused due to paramyxovirus. This virus cause respiratory infections among babies. During this disease, the babies have high fever and then rashes appear on their body and then they suffer from this transferable disease.

This disease can also occur when any person having an infection coughs or sneezes and in this way also the new born babies get infection and it results into measles.

SYMPTOMS OF MEASLES IN BABIES

The symptoms of measles in babies are:-

• Feeling cold
• High fever
• Red rash
• Cough
• Conjunctivitis

In measles, the baby’s feel cold, eyes become red and gets dry cough. The average temperature rise up to 105 degrees and rashes last at least for five days and then these rashes leaves marks on the body which took months or at least one year to fade away.

DIAGNOSIS OF MEASLES IN BABIES

To identify measles, if the babies have symptoms like red spots in the mouth, and having rashes on the body, high fever and cough then the mother should immediately contact the doctor for treatment. The doctor will diagnose measles

by seeing all the symptoms which are the cause for measles. The doctor can take blood tests and even Chest X-rays to confirm the symptoms of measles.

TREATMENT OF MEASLES

In measles infection, home treatment is the best treatment for the babies. To recover from this infection, it took at least two weeks. The doctor recommends bed rest and care for the babies. The drugs like ibuprofen, Advil etc can also be given to get relieve from pain and to reduce fever.

For the treatment of measles, Antibiotics are not given to the babies. Measles decrease the level of Vitamin A in the body and this leads to number of deaths, if there are complications against this infection especially in the babies. If there are complications from measles then the babies should be immediately hospitalized.

PREVENTION FROM MEASLES

The best way to prevent the babies from measles is to have vaccination against this disease. Now days, various highly effective vaccinations are available to prevent from measles. Vaccinations like MMR which means measles, mumps and rubella vaccine should be given to the babies. It should be given at fifteen months of age. The babies who are exposed to measles should be prevented by giving immune globulin which will prevent them from measles illness.

CONCLUSION

Measles is a highly transferable disease which spreads very quickly in babies and should be prevented by giving suitable vaccinations time to time.

Source:tenderbabycare.com