Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that is pretty rare in the UK. Having said that, Measles has been hitting headlines in recent months as a reemerging as a problem childhood infection. Any child or adult that hasn't been vaccinated is at risk, so it's important to know the symptoms and signs so you can get your child seen to as soon as possible.
What is measles?
Measles is caused by a viral infection. The symptoms of the illness appear around 10 days after your baby is first infected, which makes it highly infectious as it’s often passed on before you’ve realised your baby is ill. ‘Thanks to vaccination programmes, measles is quite rare,’ says Dr David Elliman from The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
‘However, outbreaks of measles still occur each year and about 6% of these cases will lead to more serious complications.’ The virus is spread much like colds, in tiny droplets of water that are spread through coughs and sneezes, and which your baby will breathe in.
How is measles spread?
Measles is highly infectious and it spreads very easily. It lives in the nose and throat, meaning coughs, sneezes and any sort of spray of infected droplets can spread it. Measles also remains infectious on surfaces, so you can still catch measles if you don't wash your hands after touching an infected surface.
What are the symptoms of measles?
• Cold and fever
• Spotty rash
• Temperature
• Irritability
• Off of their food
• Small, greyish-white spots on the inside of the mouth
When to see a doctor
Contact your GP straight away if seven to 10 days after the appearance of the rash, your baby gets a headache, becomes drowsy or vomits – it can be a sign of encephalitis, a serious and potentially fatal complication.
‘Don’t automatically bring them in as if they are infectious, they may spread it to other people in the surgery,’ says David. Explain any symptoms over the phone and your GP will be able to tell you the best thing to do.
How is measles in babies treated?
Treatment involves plenty of rest and fluids and you can give baby paracetamol if they have a fever. Your baby should recover after around a week.
‘Children can receive protection against measles by getting the MMR vaccine at 12-13 months,’ says David. Very young babies often have natural protection passed over to them from you when they were in the womb.
Is measles dangerous?
In most cases, measles does go away after about a week or 10 days but in some cases, it can lead to serious complications which is why its so important to get little ones vaccinated and contact your doctor if you think your child may have caught it.
About the expert
Dr David Elliman is a clinical advisor to the UK NSC and is the current clinical lead to the NHS Newborn Blood Spot Screening Programme and the NHS Newborn and Physical Examination Programme. David is a semi-retired community paediatrician whose main interest is prevention, including by screening and vaccination. He has been involved in the former for over 20 years, at a national level.
Lorna White is the Products Editor for Mother&Baby. After running the Yours magazine website, specialising in content about caring for kids and grandchildren, Lorna brought her expertise to Mother&Baby in 2020. She has a keen interest in a range of topics from potty training and nutrition to baby names and early development and has a wide range of experienced medical experts and professionals at her fingertips. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two young sisters, dog walking and enjoying the outdoors with her family.