Children exposed to passive smoking are more likely to suffer severe illnesses, including meningitis.

Many studies from around the world over the past two decades have found that exposure to cigarette smoke increases a child's risk of getting meningitis and septicaemia.

Amongst adults, smoking also increases the risk of carrying meningococcal bacteria in the back of the throat, so that smokers are more likely to transmit the bacteria to others.

Avoiding cigarettes is one important thing that parents can do to protect their children against meningitis and septicaemia. Making sure that children have all their immunisations is another very important step. Every injection in the routine immunisation programme for babies protects against meningitis.

However, there are some types of meningitis that cannot be prevented, and despite parents' best efforts to protect their children, each year in Britain these diseases strike about 2,000 children.

For this reason it is important for parents to know the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia, so that they can get urgent medical help if their child is affected.

For free symptoms information readers should call Meningitis Research Foundation's Freefone 24 hour helpline – 080 8800 3344.

Liz Hamilton

Medical Information Officer

Meningitis Research