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GEORGE — UK
Born March 22, 2021 Late-onset Mother's GBS Status: Not Tested Gestational Age: 32 weeks Age Harmed: 7 weeks old |
Our pregnancy was considered high risk from 22 weeks when it was discovered that George was growth-restricted. He was born at 32 weeks gestation weighing only 2 lbs. He spent his first 6 weeks of life in NICU and then SCBU. His hospital stay was uneventful, and George was discharged at what would have been 38+1 weeks gestation, if I'd have remained pregnant.
We had George at home for 9 days when he became very sleepy and reluctant to eat. By the same afternoon, our GP had gotten us a referral directly to the paediatric ward at our local hospital and George was admitted as an emergency. By the time we arrived at hospital, he was struggling to breathe, his O2 stats were dropping rapidly and he was barely conscious.
We spent 8 hours in that hospital, where he suffered 3 cardiac arrests, before being blue-lighted to a specialist children's hospital in London. It was discovered that George had GBS which had settled in the soft tissue of his neck, causing necrotising fasciitis and he was suffering from severe sepsis secondary to the GBS infection. He was in intensive care for 27 days, where he spent a week sedated on a ventilator, had 8 operations to remove the infected tissue and required 16 blood transfusions because his blood was so toxic.
As with most women, I wasn't tested for GBS in pregnancy and both George and I were given antibiotics before and after my c-section delivery, with the aim of fighting GBS if I was a carrier. The doctors believe that George was suffering from late-onset GBS and I must have, unknowingly, been a carrier of it whilst I was pregnant. The strain of GBS turned out to be penicillin resistant, so the antibiotics given to George after his birth would have been ineffective at fighting the bacteria.
He is one of the lucky ones who survived GBS, but it very nearly took his life before he'd even reached his due date.
-Rosie
Spreads GBS awareness through social media and word of mouth to family and friends.
We had George at home for 9 days when he became very sleepy and reluctant to eat. By the same afternoon, our GP had gotten us a referral directly to the paediatric ward at our local hospital and George was admitted as an emergency. By the time we arrived at hospital, he was struggling to breathe, his O2 stats were dropping rapidly and he was barely conscious.
We spent 8 hours in that hospital, where he suffered 3 cardiac arrests, before being blue-lighted to a specialist children's hospital in London. It was discovered that George had GBS which had settled in the soft tissue of his neck, causing necrotising fasciitis and he was suffering from severe sepsis secondary to the GBS infection. He was in intensive care for 27 days, where he spent a week sedated on a ventilator, had 8 operations to remove the infected tissue and required 16 blood transfusions because his blood was so toxic.
As with most women, I wasn't tested for GBS in pregnancy and both George and I were given antibiotics before and after my c-section delivery, with the aim of fighting GBS if I was a carrier. The doctors believe that George was suffering from late-onset GBS and I must have, unknowingly, been a carrier of it whilst I was pregnant. The strain of GBS turned out to be penicillin resistant, so the antibiotics given to George after his birth would have been ineffective at fighting the bacteria.
He is one of the lucky ones who survived GBS, but it very nearly took his life before he'd even reached his due date.
-Rosie
Spreads GBS awareness through social media and word of mouth to family and friends.
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.