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Two-month-old baby gets Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome

31 Aug 2021

  • Trio at LRH ICU on the recovery trail
BY Pamodi Waravita A two-month-old baby was yesterday (31) identified with the post-Covid-19 disease known as the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Children Temporally Associated With Covid-19 (MIS-C). “We received news that two children have been identified with MIS-C. One of them is a two-month-old baby. Both of them have Covid-19 antibodies present in them,” Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) Consultant Paediatric Intensivist (Critical Care Physician) Dr. Nalin Kithulwatta told The Morning yesterday (31). This comes after it was revealed last week that three children were receiving treatment for MIS-C at the LRH at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). “The three children at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, with MIS-C, are recovering,” Dr. Kithulwatta said. He warned that parents must be vigilant about prolonged fever, abdominal pain, and skin rashes in their children, even if they have not shown Covid-19-related symptoms. “Most children are asymptomatic patients when it comes to Covid-19. MIS-C is a post-Covid-19 disease, but parents may not always know that their children had Covid-19. That is why vigilance is vital. We are also raising awareness amongst the medical community about this disease,” he added. According to the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians website, MIS-C is a Covid-19-related disease which can affect multiple bodily systems of anyone between the ages of one and 19 years. Dr. Kithulwatta explained to The Morning that it is however more commonly observed in children between the ages of eight and 15 years. “When you say ‘multisystem’, it means that this disease affects many systems in the body, including the heart, kidneys, liver, skin, and eyes. The most serious case is when it affects the heart, which could cause the blood pressure to reduce, leading to even death. Sri Lanka has so far experienced three deaths due to MIS-C,” Dr. Kithulwatta further said. He noted that early detection of the disease is the best path to treatment, although this is not easy as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, the rapid antigen test (RAT), or the antibody test used to identify the Covid-19 virus may test negative, which could lead to the conclusion that the child is not infected with MIS-C.  


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