Mum Hayley writes,
“My son contracted group B Strep in utero, there was a growth on my placenta that tested positive for group B Strep. I was told there was a risk of passing the group B Strep during labour but was never told it could be passed to him while still pregnant. They said it is very rare*.
I was told I was group B Strep positive at my booking appointment following test results at 12 weeks gestation. This was my 6th pregnancy and I had never tested positive for Strep B with my other children so I was very surprised. My labour was very quick start to finish, all in all 2hrs. It would of been potentially longer, but his heart rate was very high and would not come down and there was meconium in my waters, so I ended up having an emergency caesarean section. I had to be put to sleep as many attempts of an epidural failed.
As it was such a fast delivery, I am not 100% sure if I managed to have one dose of antibiotics. I was not told both me and my son had a temperature after delivery, I was informed of a few things across the next few days but would of liked to have been informed sooner. My son appeared well, showed no signs of illness, if he wasn’t born with a temperature no further action would of been taken. I don’t want to think of what might have happened if left untreated. He was alert, slept well, fed well, passed urine and emptied his bowels well, I would of been sent home.
Following the birth and his temperature they worked as quickly as they could to give him antibiotics and numerous tests to see why his infection levels were so high. I was told after delivery they did checks, the placenta was looked at, it came back group B Strep positive and blood cultures were taken from my son to see if any bacteria grew, then it came back that my son had septicaemia. We had to complete a 7-day course of antibiotics and regular checks to see if the infection levels were decreasing.
Hearing sepsis was scary and confusing as you hear horror stories of sepsis, plus a friend’s son passed at a few days old from Strep B. She didn’t know she had Strep B. This was over 18 years ago.
Luckily my son was not visibly ill, and showed no signs of declining. I thought when we were discharged that would be the end, but they told me that there was a chance that the sepsis could return within the next 3 months, so we were all on eggshells, trying to be extra safe. I feared any kind of illness could harm him.”
*Although Group B Strep can cause infection in a baby during pregnancy and before waters have broken or labour has started, this is very uncommon.
