Mum's warning over ‘severe measles complications’ as baby develops pneumonia
A mum has told of the harrowing moment her three-month-old baby was hospitalised with measles - and has urged parents across the country to vaccinate their children as the ‘complications are severe’.
Davina Barrett, 28, rushed baby Ezra to A&E when she noticed a red spotty rash develop all over his body on January 9th.
The mental health therapist from Walsall in the West Midlands - where cases are currently at their highest level since the mid-1990s - said the tot was initially experiencing cold and flu symptoms, which she mistook for a common winter cold.
But the family were horrified to learn that Ezra had tested positive for the measles virus, and developed complications - including pneumonia and diarrhoea. It comes as the The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declared a ‘national health incident’ amid surging cases, with latest figures suggesting that more than 3.4 million children have not had their MMR jab.
Mum Davina, who lives with husband Karl, 30, and Ezra's one-year-old brother Noah, said: “We'd all been unwell with cold and flu symptoms for about two weeks prior, so we just thought he was dealing with the usual winter cough and cold.
Mum's heartbreak as 'best pal' daughter dies days after 'boozy birthday lunch'
Ezra pictured with his measles symptoms (Davina Barrett)“The day before the rash appeared he'd started to make a little noise, like a little moan. We thought it was a developmental thing and that he was starting to make a new sound. When we went to the hospital the next day, doctors said the noise was maybe to signify that he was a bit lethargic and unwell", she added.
Ezra's one-year-old brother Noah was unaffected as he had already received the MMR vaccine. Mum Davina said: "Noah already recieved his MMR jab, but Ezra was too young. You have to be 12 months old to get the jab."
Urging parents across the country to vaccinate their children as soon as possible, Davina said: “I just want parents to be aware of the complications if their children were to get measles. I know a lot of people who don't vaccinate think that their child will get measles and then they'll just recover and be fine.
“But the complications are so serious. Ezra had to have a lumbar puncture, the needle that goes in the spine, to ensure he didn't have meningitis. Luckily he didn't, but he could have developed meningitis.
“The doctors also said measles can affect the eyes so he was given vitamin A to make sure that he didn't lose his eyesight. There's lots of different complications. He had diarrhoea the whole time, which was really concerning for such a little baby.
Ezra spend 7 days in hospital, four of which on oxygen (Davina Barrett)
Mum Davina pictured with husband Karl and their two sons Ezra and Noah (Davina Barrett)She continued: “The complications are too extreme to not take the vaccine. The reasons that some people give to avoid the vaccine, for example, they think that their child is going to get autism. They really need to research and see that those things aren't true.”
Speaking of Ezra's week-long ordeal in hosptial, the mum told how he had to be put on oxygen to help him breathe due to respiratory distress brought on by the infection.
She said: “He was on breathing support called nasal high flow, which was giving him oxygen and air pressure into his lungs to stop him from using too much energy to breathe.
“He was put on oxygen as his breathing was rapid and his chest was sucking in under his ribs when he took a breath, indicating respiratory distress. Initially, when he was put on oxygen his stats weren’t low, but they did fall when they tried to take him off oxygen closer to his discharge. He was on oxygen from Thursday night until Sunday so around four days", she added.
Despite news of the measles disease spreading across the UK, with higher rates seen in the West Midlands, Davina says the diagnosis stll came as a massive shock to her. Ezra's condition worsened even further, as the tot also tested positive for Covid-19 halfway through his hospital treatment.
Three-quarters of workers will still go into work even if they have a cold
She said: “I had no idea it was measles because Ezra had started a new milk the day before the rash appeared, so we thought it might have been linked to that, and that maybe he was having an allergic reaction. Ezra was really unlucky because while he was in hospital, he also tested positive for Covid 19."
The family are relieved that Ezra was able to recover fully (Davina Barrett)The three-month-old spent a total of seven days in hospital, and was discharged after making a full recovery last week on January 15.
While the family are thankful that Ezra was able to recover by the second week, they've been left feeling paranoid about their little ones falling ill again as they get back out into the community. Mum Davina says she will need to 'build back her confidence' after the tarumatic ordeal, and is unsure if she can even send the boys to nursery or not.
She says: “He's completely fine now, and we're thankful that he has fully recovered but I am very worried about the measles outbreak. It's going to affect the way I go out with the kids, and whether I choose to send them to nursery.
"Previously, I used to feel a lot of guilt about keeping the children indoors while on my maternity leave because I've always felt that they should enjoy every day that I have with them. I'll be going back to work eventually, later this year, and now I just feel like are they safer at home. I definitely have to build back that confidence around taking the boys out again."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
