Mumps is a viral disease that spreads easily through tiny drops of saliva when someone coughs or sneezes. One of the most common signs is swelling on one or both sides of the face, near the cheeks and jaw. It can also cause fever, headache and other uncomfortable symptoms.
Mumps doesn't affect every child the same way. Some kids may feel pretty sick, while others have only mild symptoms. It's hard to predict how serious it will be or whether complications might develop, which is why prevention is so important.
Why do we need the mumps vaccine?
The vaccine against mumps ensures that, even if your kid gets infected, their symptoms will be much milder. It also helps prevent serious health problems that mumps can sometimes cause. In rare cases, mumps can lead to lasting problems like hearing loss or infertility. (See
"Possible complications from mumps now and later in life," below.)
Read on to learn how to recognize symptoms of mumps and how to prevent this disease. Today, your child can grow up without ever getting mumps—and without missing out on school or playtime because of it.
Mumps symptoms
Most often, mumps affects the glands that make spit (salivary glands). These are located between the jaw and the ear or under the jaw, on each side of the face. That area swells and can hurt when touched or while chewing.
One side of the face or both sides of the face can become swollen at different times. Unvaccinated teenage boys may have swelling of their testicles as a first sign of mumps.
Eating food that causes the mouth to water or drinking acidic juices can be painful for a child with mumps.
Symptoms of mumps include:
Swollen and tender salivary glands (jaw area)
Difficulty eating and chewing
Fever
Headaches
Occasional vomiting
Swelling and pain in the joints (and in boys, of the testicles)
Fatigue
Difficulty talking and earache (in some cases)
Swelling of organs such as ovaries, pancreas and brain (rare)
How to help your child feel better
Here are some home care steps to keep in mind if your child gets mumps:
Make sure they get plenty of rest.
Feed them soft, non-citrus foods that can be easily chewed and swallowed.
Encourage them to drink extra fluids to prevent dehydration
Call your doctor if your child's condition becomes worse. This is especially important if they have abdominal pain, show an unusual lack of energy or (for boys) their testicles become painful.
Is mumps contagious?
A child with mumps can spread the virus to others even before they look sick, starting a a day or two before their cheeks or jaw swell. They can keep spreading it for at least 5 days after the swelling begins through saliva or droplets from their nose or mouth.
About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people infected with mumps have no symptoms. If your child is not vaccinated, they are more likely to get the disease without realizing. They then will spread mumps to other kids who might experience the symptoms and their consequences.
Mumps in children is more common in the winter and spring, though it can happen at any time. Children should stay home from school, child care and other group activities for at least 5 days from the moment the swelling started.
Possible complications from mumps now and later in life
Unvaccinated children and adults who get mumps can face serious complications. These include deafness, swelling of the brain or membranes around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and, very rarely, death.
Mumps can lead to infection of the reproductive organs: of the testicles (orchitis) in males and an infection of the ovaries (oophoritis) in females. These conditions may cause infertility and leave males or females sterile. That means they will not be able to have kids.
Mumps can also be dangerous during pregnancy. When the birth parent is infected, the baby is at risk of dying.
Getting vaccinated as a child prevents complications in the present and in the long run.
Who should get the vaccine and when?
Children receive the mumps vaccine as part of the combination vaccine known as MMR. MMR stands for
measles, mumps and
rubella.
The MMR vaccine has 2 doses. Kids get the first dose when they are
between 12 and 15 months old, and the second dose when they are between 4 and 6 years old. Some people might need a third dose during community outbreaks of mumps or if they got the first dose early.
Most people (around 85%) who are vaccinated with 2 doses of MMR will be protected for life.
Can my child get the mumps vaccine if they are sick?
If your child has a minor illness—an upper respiratory tract infection, for example—they should still be immunized against mumps.
Fever should not rule out getting the vaccine. However, if they have other symptoms indicating a more serious illness, you should ask their pediatrician whether they can get it.
Why the mumps vaccine matters to us all
You might remember kids missing school or getting stuck at home with "chipmunk cheeks" while sick with mumps. Those images that come to our minds when we think about this disease may seem funny or nostalgic. In reality, it was no laughing matter.
Mumps was once the most common cause of deafness after birth in the United States. That's right. While most children recovered, the symptoms had a permanent impact on some of them. The brain and spinal cord can get swollen (meningitis). When that happens, there is a risk that they lose their hearing permanently. This was the case for many children.
The mumps vaccine changed everything.
The mumps vaccine was first created in 1967 and recommended for children in 1977. It became part of the combined MMR vaccine in 1989. It was so successful that, by 1999, only one in a million kids got sick with mumps.
Sadly, vaccination rates have declined since then, and there are more infections now. The number of infections fluctuated between 3,000 and 6,000 cases per year between 2016 and 2019.
It is up to us to make sure we keep mumps at bay. The MMR vaccine is an effective way to do this. It keeps our children healthy and helps our communities thrive.
Remember
Call your doctor if your child has abdominal pain, shows an unusual lack of energy, or (for boys) their testicles become painful.
The vaccine against mumps ensures that symptoms are mild and prevents any serious or permanent damage to your child's health.
Children receive the mumps vaccine as part of the combination vaccine known as MMR.
Your child is more likely to spread the disease if they are not vaccinated, even if they don't have any symptoms.
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