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EDDIE — UK
Born April 19, 2012 Late-onset Mother's GBS Status: Not tested Gestational Age: Full term Age harmed: 2 weeks, 2 days |
Ours is thankfully a survival story. Eddie woke as normal having a morning feed. He later was crying with what we had always been told was wind. From 3 days old he had been grunting and straining with what midwives and the health visitor kept saying was wind. This day the screaming kept coming; his lower abdomen kept rising as he screamed. He later curled up and fell asleep on my shoulder. He would cry if he was moved and refused any more feeds. My husband and I took him to the out of hours surgery that evening as we were very worried about him. They admitted us up to the high dependency unit as he also had a very high temperature. They took samples of blood and 3 days later it came back positive for group B strep. I'd never heard of it before. It was never mentioned to me by anyone.
They had to give him a spinal tap to test for meningitis and this came back positive. My husband and I were devastated. We were constantly at his bedside. He had seizures one night and doctors didn't think he would make it. With lots of antibiotics he started to improve a week later. It took a full 3 weeks until he was discharged from the hospital and we had another chance at being a family at home. We regularly have checks with pediatricians and so far so good. He seems fully recovered. He is 16 months now and has just started walking. This experience has scarred my husband and me deeply. We still get upset over it and it has really made me resent the NHS and everyone who could have spotted it earlier who didn't.
— Catherine Meskill, UK
Catherine tells as many people as she can to get tested.
They had to give him a spinal tap to test for meningitis and this came back positive. My husband and I were devastated. We were constantly at his bedside. He had seizures one night and doctors didn't think he would make it. With lots of antibiotics he started to improve a week later. It took a full 3 weeks until he was discharged from the hospital and we had another chance at being a family at home. We regularly have checks with pediatricians and so far so good. He seems fully recovered. He is 16 months now and has just started walking. This experience has scarred my husband and me deeply. We still get upset over it and it has really made me resent the NHS and everyone who could have spotted it earlier who didn't.
— Catherine Meskill, UK
Catherine tells as many people as she can to get tested.
To learn more about Perinatal & GBS Misconceptions, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.