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Complications of Mumps
In children, mumps is generally a mild illness, and complications are rare. When complications occur, they may include:
- Infection of the brain (encephalitis) and/or the membranes that cover it (meningitis).
- Inflammation of the testicles (orchitis) or ovaries (oophoritis).
- 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.
Adults who are infected with mumps often have more severe symptoms and are more likely to have complications than children. But long-lasting problems from complications are rare.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: March 17, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | John Pope, MD - Pediatrics Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics | |
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