NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among a group of infants who survived a bout of bacterial meningitis before their first birthday, British investigators found that about one quarter failed to pass standardized testing at age 16.

"It is essential that all cases of bacterial meningitis occurring during the first year of life are followed up fully so that children who require educational and other support are recognized at an early age," Dr. John de Louvois and his associates advise in their paper published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The investigators, from Imperial College School of Medicine in London, examined standardized test results of 750 students across England and Wales, 461 of which had meningitis as infants. About 8 percent of children who had meningitis were in special schools.

At age 16 years, about 25.4 percent of students with a history of meningitis failed to attain a grade of at least a C on any of the five General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), versus 6.6 percent of the students who did not have meningitis as infants.

Among the "case" students who had exhibited no signs of meningitis-associated disability at age 5 and were attending mainstream schools, nearly half failed to meet the national standard.

"It is alarming that children who appeared to have escaped meningitis unscathed when assessed at age 5 did no better in their GCSE examinations than those with recognized disabilities," de Louvois and his associates write.

Children who contract bacterial meningitis before 12 months of age, they conclude, need close monitoring along with continuing education support throughout their academic years.