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ELIZA — USA
Born October 10, 2010 Late-onset Mother's GBS Status: Unknown Gestational Age: 36-37 Weeks Age Harmed: 3 weeks, 4 days of age |
Thursday, November 4, Eliza woke up for the 2nd time at 11:00 inconsolable, fussy, screaming, would not open her eyes (I guess this was the part that scared me the most - symptom of not wanting bright light?)and caught her breath about 3 times. Called pediatrician made appointment for 3:45 (for of all things mom had been having a bad toothache that day and had spent all morning getting into a dentist and had an appt. for 1:00.) While there, the pediatrician's office called wanting to see her right away so I (the grandmother) took her on over leaving mom (who ended up having a root canal.) At that time Eliza seemed lethargic so they sent her on over to the Pediatric ER where they immediately tested for Group B Strep (they actually only told us meningitis) and began IV antibiotic treatment. By that point she had become unresponsive even to the lumbar stick and actually stopped breathing with her heart rate going down to 50. They were able to get her back with oxygen but said if it happened again they would intubate, ventilate, and admit, which they did end up doing and sending her to Pediatric Intensive Care hooking her up to a ventilator.
A somewhat interesting aside is that the ER does not have machine ventilators and actually neither does the PICU; respiratory therapy has to set them up, so while ER waits for that to be done they ventilate manually. Finally the next day at noon the doctor told us she had the group B strep manifesting as sepsis (not meningitis) and would remain in the hospital for 10 days on continued IV antibiotic therapy but she took her off the ventilator as she was breathing on her own. On Saturday she was moved out of PICU into a regular pediatric room. Then today she was taken off her pulse oxygen monitor as she was moving around so much. Her ampicillin was changed to penicillin as the culture grew out more to determine more specifically the exact type of bacteria. They will begin to draw blood to determine therapeutic levels to keep from giving her too much to cause undesirable side effects, such as hearing loss.
They said if we had not brought her in that day by the next she would have been gone and even if we had waited 4 more hours they might not have been able to save her, or at least not without severe complications, such as possible brain damage. As it was when she stopped breathing at least the 2nd time (other reports said she actually stopped breathing 3 or 4 times) they weren't able to get her back until they intubated her; they said if she had stayed out 4 minutes she would have had brain damage, which is why they were so quick to intubate and ventilate. We feel quite blessed, but had my daughter-in-law not been the type to want to do something quickly and not put it off (as so many are more prone to do to not be considered foolish for taking them in too soon) we probably would have lost her. We've learned this is something to watch out for and not play around with in these first few weeks of an infant's life.
— Donna Parsons, AL, USA
Eliza's grandmother wants to begin to do what she can - like giving the brochures, getting the stamps, etc.
A somewhat interesting aside is that the ER does not have machine ventilators and actually neither does the PICU; respiratory therapy has to set them up, so while ER waits for that to be done they ventilate manually. Finally the next day at noon the doctor told us she had the group B strep manifesting as sepsis (not meningitis) and would remain in the hospital for 10 days on continued IV antibiotic therapy but she took her off the ventilator as she was breathing on her own. On Saturday she was moved out of PICU into a regular pediatric room. Then today she was taken off her pulse oxygen monitor as she was moving around so much. Her ampicillin was changed to penicillin as the culture grew out more to determine more specifically the exact type of bacteria. They will begin to draw blood to determine therapeutic levels to keep from giving her too much to cause undesirable side effects, such as hearing loss.
They said if we had not brought her in that day by the next she would have been gone and even if we had waited 4 more hours they might not have been able to save her, or at least not without severe complications, such as possible brain damage. As it was when she stopped breathing at least the 2nd time (other reports said she actually stopped breathing 3 or 4 times) they weren't able to get her back until they intubated her; they said if she had stayed out 4 minutes she would have had brain damage, which is why they were so quick to intubate and ventilate. We feel quite blessed, but had my daughter-in-law not been the type to want to do something quickly and not put it off (as so many are more prone to do to not be considered foolish for taking them in too soon) we probably would have lost her. We've learned this is something to watch out for and not play around with in these first few weeks of an infant's life.
— Donna Parsons, AL, USA
Eliza's grandmother wants to begin to do what she can - like giving the brochures, getting the stamps, etc.
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.