Luca was born on 16 May 2019 at full term, following an emergency caesarean section. During labour, concerns were raised when monitors showed Luca had a very high heart rate and signs of infection. My waters had been broken for over 23 hours, which we later learned is a known risk factor for infection, but at the time no one mentioned Group B Strep (GBS) to us.
Before giving birth, neither my partner nor I had ever heard of GBS. I was not offered a test during pregnancy and didn’t know that testing was possible. Had I known about GBS and been tested, I could have received antibiotics during labour, which might have prevented Luca from becoming unwell after birth.
After Luca was born, he was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and started on antibiotics due to markers showing infection. GBS was only mentioned after he was born, once tests confirmed that he had a Group B Strep infection. He was just one day old when the diagnosis was made.
Although Luca only needed to be in NICU for a few hours initially, he went on to spend a total of 11 days in hospital. During this time, he required antibiotics and underwent invasive procedures, including lumbar punctures. Those days were incredibly difficult for our family and were made even harder by the feeling that this experience might have been avoided.
If we had been made aware of GBS during pregnancy, or routinely offered a free test, Luca may not have had to endure an infection, time in NICU, or such a long hospital stay. We could have taken our baby home much sooner.
