Ellie tested positive for group B Strep during her pregnancy and was given IV antibiotics during labour. However, Theodore developed late-onset group B Strep infection when he was three weeks old. Although antibiotics in labour will prevent most early-onset group B Strep infections, they cannot prevent those developing after the first week of life.
Ellie, Theodore’s mum, shares her story:
“One night, we just couldn’t get Theodore to settle. From about 9pm he kept screaming, wouldn’t feed and couldn’t sleep. We initially thought it was colic but called our midwife helpline. They assumed it was digestion related and tried to give tips on feeding.
My husband and I were taking it in 1.5hr shifts to try and rest. My husband had finally got him to sleep on his chest, but when I’d put him down to change him during my turn at 4.30am, I noticed that one side of his neck and face was swollen.
We tried calling the helpline again but couldn’t get through, so we decided to drive to A&E. When we arrived, the first doctor to see him thought it was an infection, and they started antibiotics.
To this day, I am convinced that that doctor and his quick decision saved my son’s life. We were moved from A&E (luckily, our hospital has a paediatric A&E) and admitted after a couple of hours. They lent me a breast pump and took fantastic care of myself, my husband, and Theodore. He did have to have an NG tube inserted as he hadn’t fed in approx. 15hrs, but after a couple of days, the antibiotics worked their magic, and we got to go home and return in the mornings to have them administered.
I’m eternally grateful to the staff at the hospital for doing all they could to look after my little boy. We’re fortunate it was caught early and that we live so close to the hospital. My husband and I now find that we get very easily stressed about his health and find it incredibly difficult to return to the hospital.”
