Encephalitis in children

Encephalitis is a rare but serious condition in which the brain becomes swollen (inflamed). Unfortunately, children are particularly vulnerable to the condition. 

Flu-like symptoms are often the first tell-tale sign. These can quickly become much more severe and even life-threatening. Your child may become confused and show other symptoms related to the brain and nervous system. We cover these symptoms in more detail in the section below.

There are two main types of encephalitis:

Infectious encephalitis 

Infectious encephalitis is very rare and happens when a common infection reaches a child’s brain. Typical viruses known to trigger this include:

• Herpes simplex, which also cause cold sores
• Varicella zoster, which also causes chickenpox and shingles
• Rubella, measles and mumps viruses

Autoimmune encephalitis

This occurs when a child’s immune system stops functioning as it should and starts attacking their brain, causing it to react and become inflamed.

Rarer causes include bacterial or fungal infections caused by mosquitoes in Southeast Asia and ticks in Europe, Russia and parts of Asia. The risk in the UK is very low.

While encephalitis does not always have a clear cause, it cannot be caught from another person.

The symptoms can vary and depend on which type of encephalitis your child has. 

Infectious encephalitis

This usually starts with milder flu-like symptoms, so your child may experience: 

• A headache
• A high temperature

More serious symptoms can follow hours, days or even weeks later. These include:

• Confusion
• Drowsiness
• Light sensitivity
• Loss of consciousness
• • Movement problems
  • Neck stiffness
  • Seizures

   

  Autoimmune encephalitis

  This is usually symptomless at first, but then your child may develop the following symptoms:

  Confusion
  • Disturbed sleep
  • Hallucinations
  • Memory loss
  • Movement problems
  • Psychosis

  We understand that these symptoms can be frightening for both you and your child. It’s important that if your child does have any of the above symptoms that you call 999 straight away or take them to the nearest emergency department.

If your child’s symptoms are mild, then they may be safely treated at home. If the symptoms are more severe, then your child may need to be treated in hospital by our team of experts.

The consultant’s priority will be stabilising your child’s symptoms to make them as comfortable as possible. They may then order a blood test and scans to find out if they have encephalitis. You can find out more on the ways in which we diagnose and treat encephalitis in children in the sections below.