Neonatal meningitis is a form of meningitis which affects someone in the first few months of life, a time in the lifespan known as the neonatal period. Infants are at risk of infections in general because their immune systems are not fully developed, and even with immunities received through breastmilk in breastfeeding infants, infections are always a risk. Meningitis, an infection of the meninges, the layers of material which surround the brain, can be very serious in infants and may be deadly if it is not treated.
Patients with neonatal meningitis have an infection of the meninges which may be caused by bacteria or viruses. In older people, there is a classic trio of symptoms associated with meningitis which can be used to identify the disease: Headache, high fever, and stiff neck. In infants these symptoms can be absent or hard to detect, which makes it difficult to realize that a patient has meningitis until the infection has progressed. This makes neonatal meningitis especially dangerous because it may be diagnosed after the patient has developed severe complications.
Symptoms of neonatal meningitis can include slow movements, vomiting, listlessness, and difficulty feeding. As the infection progresses, the infant will start to have seizures. At this point the patient can be at risk of complications such as brain damage which can lead to hearing loss and learning disabilities. It is necessary to perform a lumber puncture to obtain a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for analysis to confirm a diagnosis of neonatal meningitis.
Once diagnosed, tests can be performed to find out which organism is responsible for the infection so that appropriate antiviral or antibacterial drugs can be prescribed for the infant. In addition, steroids will be used to reduce inflammation. Another important aspect of treatment is fluid management to prevent buildups of fluid which can lead to complications, as well as monitoring of the infant's blood pressure.
If neonatal meningitis is identified early and treated rapidly, it may resolve with no further complications. However, there are significant barriers to treatment including late diagnosis and lack of access to diagnostic tools in many developing regions of the world. While the overall incidence of neonatal meningitis is low, about one to two in every 1,000 births, the nation in which an infant is located is a major determining factor in whether or not the infant will recover and what kinds of complications will be experienced.