Table of contents:
- What is mumps?
- What are the symptoms of mumps in children?
- What complications can mumps have?
- Are many Indonesian children still affected by mumps?
Mumps is a contagious disease that often affects children. This disease is caused by a virus. To prevent mumps in children, it is recommended that children be vaccinated when they are still babies. Vaccines are very effective in preventing mumps in children. For more details, see the following review.
What is mumps?
Have you ever seen your child have swelling of his cheeks? Maybe the child has mumps. This is different from goiter. Mumps or parotitis or in English is called mumps is a disease caused by a virus. Meanwhile, goiter is usually caused due to a lack of the nutrient iodine.
The virus that causes mumps usually infects the parotid glands (salivary glands), causing them to swell. Because it is caused by a virus, mumps can be transmitted, namely through saliva (saliva). However, usually mumps is no more contagious than measles or smallpox. People who have mumps are usually most contagious the two days before symptoms appear to six days after symptoms end.
Mumps usually affects children aged 2-14 years. Children less than 2 years of age, especially less than 1 year of age usually suffer from mumps very rarely. This may be because children less than 2 years of age still have good antibodies from their mothers.
What are the symptoms of mumps in children?
Mumps usually presents with fever, around 39.4 ° C. After that followed by swelling of the salivary glands for the next few days. The gland will continue to swell and be painful for 1-3 days. At this time, the child's cheeks will appear swollen. Your child will also experience pain when swallowing, talking, chewing, or drinking acidic water.
Apart from fever, other symptoms of mumps that can appear are:
- Fatigue
- Aches
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
What complications can mumps have?
If not treated properly, mumps can lead to complications. But, usually this rarely happens. Although the mumps virus causes inflammation of the parotid gland, this virus can also cause inflammation in other parts of the body, such as the brain and reproductive organs, so that mumps can spread to be a complication.
Some of the complications that can occur due to mumps are:
- Orchitis, which is inflammation of the testicles
- Meningitis, which is inflammation of the membranes around the spinal cord and brain
- Encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain
- Pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas
Are many Indonesian children still affected by mumps?
Mumps in Indonesian children may be rare. This is because there is a vaccine that can prevent mumps in children. Vaccines to prevent mumps are given together with vaccines to prevent measles and German measles (rubella). This vaccine is called the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella).
Based on the IDAI (Indonesian Pediatrician Association), the MMR vaccine is given to children aged 15 months. Re-vaccination is given at the age of 5-6 years. After the child has received this vaccine, the chances of the child getting mumps are very small. This is because the child's body has formed antibodies to fight the virus that causes mumps (if the virus enters the child's body). Therefore, it is highly recommended for those of you who have babies to vaccinate or complete immunizations for your baby.
Giving the MMR vaccine evenly to all Indonesian children can reduce the possibility of Indonesian children getting mumps or children contracting mumps. Ultimately, mumps can be very rare in Indonesia.
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