Mumps

Symptoms

• A swollen, sensitive cheek between the jaw and the ear (on one or both sides)
• Moderate fever (between 38.5°C and 39°C)
• Headache and earache
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Dry mouth
• Difficulty speaking, chewing, or swallowing
• Poor appetite
• Vomiting

• Has a fever over 40°C (104°F)
• Has a stiff neck
• Has seizures, feels dizzy, or has a bad headache
• Has abdominal pain
• Has swollen and tender testicle(s) (in boys)

These symptoms are signs of complications from mumps.

What is mumps?

Mumps is caused by a virus that infects the salivary glands. This infection leads to swelling of the cheeks and neck near the ears,and is often accompanied by severe pain when chewing or swallowing food.

However, some infected people only show symptoms of the common cold. What’s more, a recent study found that 15 to 24 percent of unvaccinated people who catch the virus have no symptoms.

In rare cases, mumps can cause more serious complications. The infection may spread to the pancreas (pancreatitis), brain (encephalitis), meninges (meningitis), testicles, or ovaries. Very rarely, mumps can lead to hearing loss.

Although mumps is less contagious than measles or chickenpox, it spreads easily from person to person. Transmission can happen through contact with the saliva of an infected person (e.g., kissing) or by sharing contaminated objects that have been in their mouth (e.g., utensils, drinking glasses, water bottles, toys). A person can also become infected by breathing in droplets produced when the sick person sneezes or coughs.

Because children today are vaccinated against mumps, the number of cases has dropped drastically and the risk is very low. And once you have had mumps once, you usually become immune.

Treatment

In most cases, mumps resolves on its own and does not require medical treatment. Antibiotics are useless against mumps, since the illness is caused by a virus, not bacteria.

Care and practical advice

• Encourage rest and quiet activities.
• Give them fluids often (water, juice, soup, etc.).
• Avoid acidic foods and juices (oranges, grapefruit, lemonade, etc.), since they stimulate saliva production and can make the pain worse.
• Give them soft foods (purées, yogurt, ice cream, etc.) in small quantities 5 or 6 times a day.
• To relieve pain and fever, give them acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol^®, Tempra^®) or ibuprofen (e.g., Advil^®, Motrin^®) as indicated and in the dose recommended for your child’s weight and age. Don’t give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months, and never give ASA (acetylsalicylic acid, such as Aspirin®) to a child or teen.
• Apply cold or warm compresses to your child’s cheeks to ease the pain caused by the swelling.
• Watch for signs of complications:
  - Fever of 40°C or higher
  - Stiff neck
  - Seizures
  - Dizziness
  - Severe headache
  - Abdominal pain
  - Swelling or tenderness of one or both testicles

Prevention

Vaccination is the best way to prevent mumps. Although the vaccine isn’t 100 percent effective, it usually makes the illness milder and reduces the risk of complications if a child does get sick.

The vaccination schedule includes two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. The first injection is given at 12 months and the second at 18 months.

To help prevent the spread of mumps, certain basic hygiene measures are also recommended:

• Avoid direct contact with someone who is infected (e.g., kissing, cuddling).
• Don’t share drinking glasses, utensils, or water bottles.
• Wash your hands frequently.

Scientific review: Dr. Anne-Claude Bernard-Bonnin, pediatrician Research and copywriting:The Naître et grandir team Updated: August 2024

Photo: GettyImages/KatarzynaBialasiewicz