1. Use Vitamin A Supplements to Prevent Complications
Mega-doses of vitamin A can reduce the risk of pneumonia-related complications of measles, especially in children under the age of two. Few children in the United States contract the disease because of widespread vaccination campaigns. However, unvaccinated children and children in developing countries are at risk for developing measles-related pneumonia, blindness and other complications. If your toddler contracts measles, speak to his doctor about the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation regarding vitamin-A supplementation. Two oral doses, each equal to 200,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin A, given on two consecutive days--early after diagnosis--can significantly reduce your child's risks.
2. Treating Exposure Early can Modify Measles
There is no specific treatment or cure for the measles, but if you know that you or your child has it, there are a few treatments that help to modify the illness, making coping easier. Since 90 percent of all non-vaccinated people will develop the disease after being exposed to someone who has it, acting quickly is important.
Call your doctor if your infant has been exposed and hasn't had the immunization. Being immunized within 72 hours of exposure can protect your infant from the disease, or at least modify the course, so that his symptoms are less severe. Ask your physician about whether a infusion of gamma globulin (protein antibodies) would be helpful. The treatment, when received within the first few days of exposure, helps to fight off infection and can prevent or modify measles. It's often given to pregnant women and children with immune-system disorders.
3. Cope With the Symptoms of Measles
As with any viral illness, the best way to cope with measles is to treat the symptoms. In addition to the characteristic spotted rash, the virus causes a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery, photosensitive eyes. Treat the fever with over the counter fever-reducing agents like acetaminophen and ibuprofen, and keep your child hydrated. Because her eyes may ache when exposed to light, it's best to let her rest in a darkened room.
Keeping the air in that room moisturized with a cool-mist humidifier can assist in making her dry throat and sore mouth feel better too. As she improves, her symptoms will abate, and you will begin to see her rash disappear in the reverse order from which it appeared. Luckily, measles is a self-limiting illness, which means your child should start to feel better in about two weeks, assuming there are no complications.
4. Monitor Closely for Signs of Complications
Measles are often associated with complications, including ear infections, respiratory infections and in some cases, encephalitis and convulsions. Keep a close eye on your child's symptoms to monitor for these complications. Create a fever log, making note of how high his fever rises and how it responds to over the counter medications. If he begins to complain of an unbearable headache or a stiff neck with the high fever--signs of measles-induced encephalitis--call the doctor immediately. While this complication is rare, it's not unlikely that your child will develop some sort of secondary infection caused by bacteria. Talk to your doctor about beginning a course of antibiotics if your child tugs on his ear or complains of ear pain, has goopy drainage from his eyes or has a croupy, congested cough.
