05_BT_May 2022

Baby & Toddler
Health & Medical Diary
Understanding
Multi-System
Inflammatory
Syndrome
in Children
(MIS-C)
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)
is a serious condition associated with COVID-19. It was
first identified back in April 2020 by doctors in the United
States. In Malaysia, between June 2020 and December 2021,
a total of 174 cases of MIS-C was confirmed by the MIS-C
Malaysia Study Group. Data shows that a majority of these
cases require critical medical attention from the paediatric
intensive care units. In this article, Dr Livia Chow Huey Ling,
Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist at Pantai Hospital
Ayer Keroh, explains more about MIS-C, its symptoms and
the treatment protocol.
We know that COVID-19 can infect
children, and the severity in the
majority of the affected children are
mild. However, recently there have
been many cases where children
developed serious complications when
infected with COVID-19, particularly
a condition called multi-system
inflammatory syndrome in children
(MIS-C).
We have also been seeing an upward
trend in the number of children below
12 years old being infected with
COVID-19. There have been 50,826
children being tested positive till mid
of February this year. At the same
time, we are also seeing more children
requiring admission to the Paediatric
Intensive Care Unit (PICU). From
June 2020 till December 2021, there
have been 174 cases of multi-system
inflammatory syndrome in children
(MIS-C).
22 BabyTalk | May 2022