A mum in Wales has described how a rare illness now being linked to coronavirus put her tiny baby in hospital - saying she'd 'never been so terrified'.
Sadie Inglis' little boy, Arnie, was five months old when he was was struck ill with Kawasaki disease, which makes the blood vessels throughout the body become inflamed and the heart swell.
The little boy from Prestatyn was covered in the telltale rash and spent a week in a hospital in 2018, but his recovery took over a year, his mum told North Wales Live.
So far, Kawasaki disease has left at least a dozen children in the UK in intensive care and could be a form of toxic shock.
Now Sadie is warning parents of the signs to look out for as doctors find a potential link between the illness and coronavirus.
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Many of the children showing signs of the syndrome have had coronavirus, while some have not.
Recalling Arnie's harrowing experience, Sadie said: “We were in London visiting family when Arnie developed a temperature and a lump on the back of his head.
“I took him to Crawley Hospital and he was transferred to East Surrey Hospital straight away.
“He was kept in for tests and we were told he had some sort of infection.
“His heart rate was fast and his temperature kept on rising.
“He also developed an awful rash all over his body including his hands and feet.”
Doctors initially said Arnie had an infection in his head that was affecting his heart, his mum said.
The 24-year-old added: “He was put on antibiotics and a lumbar puncture was done to check for fluid on his brain. He underwent a heart scan and was put on a medication drip.
“We were told the infection was around his brain and found he had secondary viral meningitis.
“Later on, after more blood tests, they found out he has the Kawasaki disease as well as the secondary viral meningitis. That’s why he was extremely poorly.
“I’d never been so terrified.”
When Arnie was discharged, he remained on medication for a full year afterwards and had to have regular check-ups at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
Sadie said: "It took a good 18 months for a full recovery.
"Arnie is now 27 months old and has continuous ear infections, tonsillitis as his immune system was so low.
"Since Arnie was so poorly I've suffered myself with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as it was a very traumatic time for me and I'm going through counselling.
"Hearing about Kawasaki going round at the moment has really hit home, and has worried me for Arnie's as well as all other babies/children's sake as I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
"What I'd say to parents is you know your own children and if you feel something is not right take them the doctors.
"Things to look out for are a high temperatures that wont come down with Calpol, a lump at the side of neck, a rash all over the body, cherry red-colour hands, feet, lips and tongue, and also the whites of the eyes go red."
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a case report from the beginning of April has resurfaced, detailing what’s believed to be one of the first-known cases of the virus-related illness, reports The Mirror.
The report explains that a six-month-old girl with the new coronavirus was diagnosed and treated for Kawasaki disease (KD).
In their report, published in Hospital Paediatrics, the authors wrote: “To our knowledge, this is the first described case of KD with concurrent Covid-19 infection.”
The girl was admitted to hospital with a high fever then after four days started to show signs of Kawasaki disease, including a rash and red eyes.
And on day five, she tested positive for Covid-19.
Now researchers are calling on doctors to be more aware of a possible link between Kawasaki disease and coronavirus.
They added: “This case report may serve as a useful reference to other clinicians caring for pediatric patients affected by Covid-19 as understanding of the clinical presentation patterns continue to evolve.
“Further description of the clinical course of pediatric patients diagnosed with Covid-19 remains necessary, particularly regarding the potential association with KD.”
What is Kawasaki Disease?
Kawasaki disease - also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome - is a rare condition that mainly affects children under the age of five.
The characteristic symptoms are a high temperature that lasts for more than five days, with a rash, swollen glands in the neck, dry, cracked lips, red fingers or toes and red eyes.
Kawasaki disease causes the blood vessels to become inflamed and swollen, which can lead to complications in the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart (coronary arteries).
Up to 5% of children with Kawasaki disease experience complications with their heart. Complications can be fatal in about 1% of cases.
It’s thought Kawasaki disease is caused by an infection, although the exact cause isn’t fully understood.
