Deafness may increase the risk of childhood meningitis

The results of a study on Danish children show that deafness can significantly increase the risk of meningitis. Therefore, parents with deaf children need to help them become familiar with the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

The researchers conducted a review of the records of all children born in Denmark between 1995 and 2004. Of the 663,963 children studied, researchers found 39 children had just been deafness and meningitis, including 5 cases of deaf children before meningitis.

Internal parts of a cochlear implant (Photo: wikipedia)

Dr. Erik T. Parner of Aarhus University in Denmark, the lead author of the study, and colleagues note that deaf children are five times more likely to develop meningitis than non-deaf children.

The researchers concluded: 'This is the first study to report the risk of meningitis in deaf children . and shows the need for more research on population and database components. other materials. '

'If deaf children are more at risk for meningitis, parents and health care providers should help people know that they need to be alert to the signs and symptoms of membranitis. brain, and need to consider vaccination. '

The researchers also noted that there has been a reported increase in the risk of meningitis in children with cochlear implants, but so far the rate of meningitis in deaf children before cochlear implants remains not yet set.

Meningitis is a relatively rare disease but can be fatal. It causes swelling of the meninges and membranes surrounding the spinal cord. It can cause seizures, brain damage, dementia, deafness, and even the death of other healthy children and adults.

Hong Linh