Doctors always urge us to monitor our children well, because the appearance of any sign on their small bodies may be an indication of a disease that needs to be addressed.
In this context, one of the parents noticed the appearance of a red mark on his child’s skin that turned white as soon as he pressed on it. When he visited the doctor, he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, which could lead to death if it was not treated quickly.
What makes meningococcus so dangerous is the fact that blood unknowingly “seeps” under the skin.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord, usually caused by bacteria or viruses.
Meningococcus, the bacteria that causes meningitis, can also cause blood poisoning.
About 3,200 people a year contract bacterial meningitis, 1 in 10 dies and many more suffer life-altering disabilities.
Infection peaks during the winter, and more than a third of parents do not know the early symptoms of the disease.
Research has found that 38 percent of mums and dads mistakenly thought rashes were the first sign of infection, when spots only appeared when the baby was already very ill.
