Although the most common variety, viral meningitis, is not serious and typically disappears on its own within 10 days, bacterial meningitis comes on fast and can quickly lead to brain damage or deafness, and is fatal in 10 to 13 percent of cases. If you are at all concerned that your baby may have this illness, call your doctor. Your baby may need to be hospitalized until they can tell what kind of meningitis he has. Early treatment is essential for children with bacterial meningitis. The disease develops when infection by a virus or bacteria inflames the meninges, the membranes lining the brain and nervous system.
Early diagnosis is critical.
Add your comments to the bottom of this page. Only a doctor can tell you that. If the hallmark symptoms are there, he will do a lumbar puncture, also know as a spinal tap. That's the last thing a sick, irritable baby wants to do, so you will probably have to hold him in that position. The puncture itself is less traumatic than it sounds, however.