children s health issues
Measles
Symptoms of Measles
Measles symptoms begin about 7 to 14 days after infection. The infected child first develops a fever, runny nose, hacking cough, and red eyes. Sometimes the eyes are sensitive to bright light. Before the rash begins, tiny, bright red spots with white or bluish white centers (Koplik spots) may appear inside the mouth. These white or bluish white centers may resemble grains of sand. Then the child develops a sore throat. A mildly itchy rash appears 3 to 5 days after the start of symptoms. The rash begins on the face in front of and below the ears and on the side of the neck and looks like irregular, flat, red areas that soon become raised. The rash spreads within 1 to 2 days to the trunk, arms, palms, legs, and soles and then begins to fade on the face. At the peak of the illness, the child feels very sick and develops eye inflammation (conjunctivitis), the rash is extensive, and the temperature may exceed 104° F (40° C). In 3 to 5 days, the temperature falls, the child begins to feel better, and any remaining rash quickly fades. The rash turns a brownish color, and then the skin peels. (see Encephalitis ) occurs in about 1 out of 1,000 children with measles. If encephalitis occurs, it often starts with a high fever, headache, seizures, and coma, usually 2 days to 2 weeks after the rash appears. The illness may be brief, with recovery in about 1 week, or it may be prolonged, resulting in brain damage or death. Overview of Pneumonia None may occur after the measles infection resolves because the person's blood platelet levels become low ( Overview of Thrombocytopenia ). People usually have bruising of the skin and mild bleeding, but occasionally bleeding is severe. Temporary liver inflammation ( Overview of Hepatitis ) Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) None 