Aspirin Proves Life-saving for Child With Pneumococcal Meningitis

Robert Airey, from Oxfordshire, was found to be suffering from pneumococcal meningitis and respiratory failure when he was just 9 months old. This was a deadly infection which caused his brain to swell up.

The boy experienced a miraculous recovery after doctors used an unconventional therapy, aspirin which saved his life.

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He had suffered a series of minor strokes and had to be rushed to Southampton Children's Hospital. Doctors were not hopeful of a cure, yet they gave him daily doses of aspirin to reduce the swelling in the brain. This decision, which was completely different from the normal route doctors take, proved a blessing as the drug helped heal the blood clots. Robert made a miraculous recovery.

This disease is thought to affect nearly 200 babies in a year. Nearly 20% of them die from these illnesses and more than 50% of them go on to develop long term health issues.

Robert’s mother Sarah, who is a GP, said: 'Miracle can be an overused term, but I think it's relevant here. From what we expected, to him making it and then recovering so well - it was an against the odds job. And to see him playing in the mud, rolling around and playing with the other children is an amazing sight.'

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Source-Medindia

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