Infant Meningitis Can Harm Development

Children who have meningitis as infants can have long-lasting problems with development, a new study finds. The study included 43 children. As babies, all of them had meningitis caused by Group B Streptococcus. This is an infection of the fluid and lining around the brain and spinal cord. At the time of the study, the children’s ages ranged from 3 through 12. They were given a series of tests and measurements of development. Tests showed normal development in nearly half of the children. About 1 in 4 showed mild to moderate harm to their development. Almost 1 in 5 had severe problems with development. The journal Pediatrics published the study online June 11.