Dengue Fever In Babies And Toddlers: Symptoms, Treatment And Prevention

Medically reviewed by Dr. Vivek Goswami, MD, MRCPCHBy Dr Bisny T. Joseph, Medical Doctor  •  Dec 15, 2023

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Prevention is better than cure — precautionary measures to avoid dengue in newborns.

Dengue fever in babies and toddlers is a viral infection caused by four types of dengue virus. The illness is usually found in tropical and subtropical countries. It can be severe in babies and toddlers if they are born to mothers having dengue (1). You should be observant of the dengue symptoms in children because they can be easily confused with other illnesses. Therefore, although it can be cured at home, getting a proper diagnosis from a doctor is important to prevent the risk of further complications. Also, you should take steps to stop the spread of the infection. Read the post to understand more about dengue fever in babies, its symptoms, treatment, and ways to keep children safe from mosquito-borne diseases.

What Causes Dengue And How Does It Spread?

The dengue virus is mainly transmitted by the Aedes aegypti species of female mosquitoes. These species of mosquitoes are also responsible for Zika virus infection, chikungunya, and yellow fever.  Dengue infection can be caused by four serotypes of dengue virus, including DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4.

It is transmitted to humans through an infected female mosquito bite, which feeds only during the daytime. After biting an infected person, female mosquitoes can transmit the dengue virus within eight to 12 days to other humans. It is not a contagious disease that spreads from human to human. There are rare cases of vertical transmission (pregnant mother to baby) (2).

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