Kids' Health
The New Inflammatory Syndrome in Kids: What You Need to Know
Family physician Ada D. Stewart, M.D., answers our pressing questions about this new health condition.
- Interview By
- Marnie Schwartz
- Illustration
- Courtney Kiersznowski
What exactly is this new syndrome?
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) involves inflammation, which is swelling that occurs within blood vessels, in different body parts. It’s a syndrome, which means there’s a combination of a few things going on at the same time. You see fevers, rashes, swelling in the hands and feet, and abdominal pain… all these things come together at once. We’re finding that a lot of children with this syndrome are positive for Covid-19 or have been around someone who had the virus. It’s not a clear association at this point, but a potential one. MIS-C seems related to something we’ve seen in the past called Kawaski disease, which is rare. This can be serious, but it is rare, too.
What symptoms should parents be watching out for?
The most important one is a fever that doesn’t go away, especially if it doesn’t subside with fever reducers like acetaminophen. You might also see a rash, red eyes, cracked and peeling lips. Kids may have abdominal pain. But the biggest thing is that persistent fever. If it’s going on for more than a day, it’s really important to call your family physician, who can advise you on whether or not you need to bring your child into the office.
What should you do if your child has some of these symptoms? At what point should you call 911 or go to the emergency room?
The first thing you should do is call your physician. If you can’t get a hold of them or if you’re concerned that your child is lethargic, then take them to the ER or call 911. Parents know when something is going on with their child. But always call your physician first, unless you think the symptoms are life threatening, like with difficulty breathing or severe pain.
If my kid did get this syndrome, what would happen next?
MIS-C is still being investigated, and we’re still figuring out what the treatment and course of this syndrome looks like. There are a lot of unknowns right now. But kids with the syndrome may need to stay in the hospital, especially if they had complications like pneumonia or underlying conditions. Most children will recover with no long-lasting effects.
How worried should parents be?
I would say it should be on their radar, especially if they live in an area with a large number of confirmed Covid cases, like New York. Those areas have seen some small clusters. If you think something is going on, your family physician is there to guide you and be your trusted resource, so call them. I tell my patients to be smart and be cautious. Keep doing the things we’re doing to prevent the spread of Covid, like wearing a mask, staying at home, self-isolating if you’re sick, staying out of crowds, and of course, washing hands. Parents should be aware, and talk to their physician if they have any concerns or suspicions, but this syndrome is rare.
Ada D. Stewart, MD, is a family physician in Columbia, South Carolina and president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) involves inflammation, which is swelling that occurs within blood vessels, in different body parts. It’s a syndrome, which means there’s a combination of a few things going on at the same time. You see fevers, rashes, swelling in the hands and feet, and abdominal pain… all these things come together at once. We’re finding that a lot of children with this syndrome are positive for Covid-19 or have been around someone who had the virus. It’s not a clear association at this point, but a potential one. MIS-C seems related to something we’ve seen in the past called Kawaski disease, which is rare. This can be serious, but it is rare, too.
What symptoms should parents be watching out for?
The most important one is a fever that doesn’t go away, especially if it doesn’t subside with fever reducers like acetaminophen. You might also see a rash, red eyes, cracked and peeling lips. Kids may have abdominal pain. But the biggest thing is that persistent fever. If it’s going on for more than a day, it’s really important to call your family physician, who can advise you on whether or not you need to bring your child into the office.
What should you do if your child has some of these symptoms? At what point should you call 911 or go to the emergency room?
The first thing you should do is call your physician. If you can’t get a hold of them or if you’re concerned that your child is lethargic, then take them to the ER or call 911. Parents know when something is going on with their child. But always call your physician first, unless you think the symptoms are life threatening, like with difficulty breathing or severe pain.
If my kid did get this syndrome, what would happen next?
MIS-C is still being investigated, and we’re still figuring out what the treatment and course of this syndrome looks like. There are a lot of unknowns right now. But kids with the syndrome may need to stay in the hospital, especially if they had complications like pneumonia or underlying conditions. Most children will recover with no long-lasting effects.
How worried should parents be?
I would say it should be on their radar, especially if they live in an area with a large number of confirmed Covid cases, like New York. Those areas have seen some small clusters. If you think something is going on, your family physician is there to guide you and be your trusted resource, so call them. I tell my patients to be smart and be cautious. Keep doing the things we’re doing to prevent the spread of Covid, like wearing a mask, staying at home, self-isolating if you’re sick, staying out of crowds, and of course, washing hands. Parents should be aware, and talk to their physician if they have any concerns or suspicions, but this syndrome is rare.
Ada D. Stewart, MD, is a family physician in Columbia, South Carolina and president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians.