Advice for family and friends

If your child has been unconscious, it is important to explain to him or her that he or she is in hospital after an illness. Take in familiar toys, pictures and music to help make your child feel less anxious. Sometimes it helps to use a communication board with simple pictures and words.

Your child may become frustrated because of an inability to do things as well as before the illness. It is important to reassure him or her that things will improve, although it can take many months. It can help to keep a daily diary recording your child’s progress. He or she may be able to help to make the diary, which should create a sense of achievement.

A child who has been ill with encephalitis needs routine so try as far as possible to keep to a daily timetable including regular rest periods. It is important that you keep in touch with your child’s school throughout his or her stay. Children who have been ill with encephalitis often have problems which affect them at school – for example, memory loss and tiredness – and it is vital that their teachers know about this when they go back.

Brothers and sisters of an ill child can feel frightened and excluded and it is important to include them whenever possible. They need to be able to express their feelings and you should try to give them time alone with at least one parent to reassure them that they are still important.

Recovery is aided by a frequent rest periods and quiet. The brain consists of neurons (brain nerves) connected together in a network (neural network). In all types of encephalitis the inflammation can cause damage to neurons and their connections resulting in disrupted neural networks. Repairing and restructuring takes time, needs a plentiful supply of essential nutrients and may be less than perfect.

A period of convalescence of 1 – 3 months may be needed before a return to school./ nursery / college. Your child will be better able to catch up with a rested and repaired brain, too soon a return may hinder the recovery process.