Acquired Brain Injury

Both meningitis and septicaemia can cause an ABI, this is an injury to the brain that has happened after birth.

Severe brain damage following meningitis is not common and is usually obvious within a few days of becoming ill. Complications can include epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

An ABI can also cause more subtle changes, the brain takes over 20 years to fully develop, if a child or young adult has meningitis the development of the brain can be affected. The changes may not be apparent immediately after the illness; it may take months or even years before any changes are noticed.

Out completed research project, (MOSAIC), published in Lancet Neurology, confirms that meningococcal disease (most common cause of bacterial meningitis) has a life-long impact, leaving a significant number of survivors with reduced IQ and problems with memory, concentration and planning. The research has also shown that survivors are significantly more likely to need additional educational support or experience mental health disorders and physical disability.