Polio Symptoms and Treatment in Babies

Polio Symptoms , Polio Treatment, Polio Symptoms Babies: Polio has been wiped out of most countries with only a few developing nations facing its threat now. For this, babies are now being given routinely polio vaccines to ward off any possible threat to their health.

However, due to polio being almost eliminated now, most parents often do not realize how important it is to vaccinate their little one against this disease.

* Symptoms

Given that polio can have life threatening complications, it is surprising to note that most people infected with the disease never realize that they are affected. People suffering from non-paralytic polio or abortive poliomyelitis may reveal the usual symptoms of viral illness like fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, malaise, back pain, neck pain, pain or stiffness in limbs, muscle spasms and even meningitis. Paralytic polio, which is a more serious but rare form of this disease shows initial symptoms of fever and headache and other signs of non-paralytic polio in the beginning. However, later signs like loss of reflexes, severe muscle aches or spasms, loose and floppy limbs might show up as the infection progresses. Paralysis may hit all of a sudden.

* Treatment

* Polio is untreatable once infected and hence the prime focus of a treatment is usually aimed on offering comfort, quick recovery and averting further complications.

* The patient should be given complete bed rest.

* A nutritious diet is strictly advised.

* Antibiotics are usually prescribed to deal with secondary infections.

* Analgesics are advised to relive pains.

* Portable ventilators to help in comfortable breathing.

* Physiotherapy to avoid deformity and loss of muscle function.