Meningitis 'reduces exam success'

The characteristic rash is the most well-known meningitis symptom

Battling meningitis as a baby has a damaging effect on later academic achievement, a study suggests.

Imperial College London found one in four teenagers who had meningitis in their first year failed to pass a single GSCE exam at grade C or above.

Among comprehensive school pupils, meningitis survivors were twice as likely to fail to achieve the national standard of five grade C passes.

The study appears in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

It is essential that all cases of bacterial meningitis occurring during the first year of life are followed up fully Imperial College researcher

It also found children who appeared to have escaped meningitis unscathed when assessed at age five did no better in their GCSE examinations than those with recognised disabilities.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain lining - the meninges - which can cause serious disability or even death.

The researchers compared the exam results of 461 students who survived meningitis as babies, with 289 students who had never developed the disease.

They found 25% of the meningitis survivors failed to pass a single GSCE exam, compared with just 6.6% of the comparison group.

Among comprehensive school attendees, 48% of meningitis survivors failed to achieve five grade C passes - the figure for the comparison group was 25%.

The researchers also found that 8% of meningitis survivors were in special schools - around four times the national average.

Assessment

Writing in the journal, the Imperial team, led by Dr John de Louvois, said: "The adverse consequences of infantile meningitis clearly extend into adult life and seriously affect educational achievement.

"It is essential that all cases of bacterial meningitis occurring during the first year of life are followed up fully so that children who require educational and other support are recognised at an early age."

They add that raising parental awareness of the long term consequences of meningitis in infancy might also improve the uptake of immunisation.

The Meningitis Research Foundation backed the call for routine educational assessment of all children who contract meningitis in infancy.

Denise Vaughan, the chief executive, said: "This is the first published report on the educational achievements of a large group of teenagers who suffered from meningitis during their first year of life.

"The results indicate that those who had bacterial meningitis in infancy should have continuous post-infection assessment."