Complications of mumps
In children, mumps is generally a mild illness, and complications are rare. When complications develop, they may include:
- Infection of the brain (encephalitis) and/or the membranes that cover it (meningitis).
- Inflammation of the testicles (orchitis) or ovaries (oophoritis). Orchitis may cause sterility in extremely rare cases; oophoritis does not appear to affect long-term fertility.
- Hearing loss.
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
- Miscarriage, which may occur in a woman who has mumps during her first 3 months of pregnancy. There does not appear to be a link between mumps and birth defects.1
Adults who are infected with mumps often have more severe symptoms and are more likely to develop complications than children. However, long-lasting problems from complications are rare.
| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: April 10, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease | |
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