I heard that if you suspect that your kid has meningitis you can do a quick test at home: get your child to touch his chin to chest. If his neck hurts in doing this, or is unable to do it, it could be meningitis. Is this correct?

The test that you have described is a self test for stiffness of neck. While a stiff neck is one of the symptoms of meningitis, it is not the only one. Early signs actually mimic that of flu. Other symptoms include: - High fever (with cold hands and feet) - Vomit and refusal to feed/poor feeding - Inactivity or sluggishness, become drowsy and unresponsive - Grunt or breathe rapidly - Have pale, blotchy skin, and a red rash (do a glass test: red rash doesn’t face when a glass is rolled over it) - Tense, bulging soft spot on the top of child’s head This is a serious condition with could lead to permanent brain damage or death. If you suspect your child of having meningitis, please seek medical help immediately. For more information: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/meningitis/symptoms-causes/dxc-20169522 http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Meningitis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx