Claire welcomed her first baby, Finn, on 25 February 2026. Born at 38 weeks via an emergency caesarean section, Finn arrived healthy and filled their home with joy. For six weeks, Claire and her family were wrapped in the blissful newborn bubble. Finn thrived, and nothing suggested the frightening experience that lay ahead.
Although Claire had heard of Group B Strep (GBS) through a friend, she had not been offered a test during pregnancy and did not know that testing was available. Like many parents, she had no recognised risk factors and no reason to suspect that GBS might affect her baby.
Everything changed suddenly when Finn was just six weeks old, as Claire explains, “Our world turned upside down, when at exactly six weeks old, he developed sepsis caused by late-onset GBS”
Earlier that day, Finn had seemed completely well. He even passed his six-week check with his health visitor that morning. But as the day went on, Claire noticed subtle but worrying changes, he began refusing feeds, became lethargic, and within a short time, his temperature rose rapidly and his breathing became laboured.
Claire and her family rushed Finn to hospital, where he was initially taken to resuscitation and thought to have bronchiolitis. However, after being transferred to paediatric high dependency, a registrar with neonatal intensive care experience quickly recognised the signs of sepsis and acted immediately.
“To watch our tiny baby deteriorate so fast with little warning was terrifying. We will be forever grateful to hospital staff for their fast action, ultimately saving Finn’s life” Finn was diagnosed with sepsis caused by Group B Strep and spent 10 days in hospital receiving treatment, before completing his recovery with support from a Hospital@Home team.
The experience was deeply frightening for Claire and her family, but thanks to swift medical intervention, Finn made a full recovery. Now, at 13 weeks old, Finn is thriving. “He fills every day with so much joy and we feel extra lucky to have him”
After Finn’s diagnosis, Claire turned to Group B Strep Support for information and guidance during an incredibly difficult time. “Accessing the website supported us immensely following Finn’s initial diagnosis. We knew little about the infection, so the wealth of information available on the website was imperative to give us some clarity and answers during what was the worst period of our lives.”
