These parents went through hell, and a simple test could have saved them from tragedy. Now, a couple who lost a child just 19 days old are raising awareness of the widespread infection. It is she who is responsible for the premature death of their little son.
- Ezrah, just 19 days old, died of sepsis and meningitis from group B streptococcus
- This bacteria can be detected by a simple test, but it is not performed routinely
- Only two out of every thousand infants develop a serious infection
- More information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page
Craig and Sarah from Cornwall buried their son, who was only 19 days old, in March. Little Ezrah lost his appetite at first, then began to cough, but after his body temperature began to soar, they called for help. As they waited an hour for the ambulance, they eventually took the child to the emergency room themselves.
Speckles on the body
The boy’s dad explained that when they got to the hospital, strange spots appeared on the child’s body. Doctors said that if the parents waited half an hour longer, the child might be dead.
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The boy was diagnosed with sepsis and meningitis as a result of infection with group B streptococcus (type B Streptococcus). The brain damage was so severe that Ezrah could not be saved. He died on March 25, just 19 days after his birth.
Group B streptococcus – diagnosis, symptoms
The boy could have been saved by a simple streptococcus test. The test is not performed routinely as maternal antibodies usually protect newborns against it. Only two out of a thousand newborns are exposed to serious infection. Polish studies show that group B streptococcus is present in 30 percent of pregnant. Bacteria are found in the genital tract or the end of the digestive tract, but usually do not cause any symptoms. A baby can become infected in childbirth and most infections develop in the first week of life.
- His skin was starting to turn blue. The popular preparation was to blame
Symptoms of group B streptococcal infection include:
- cough
- breathing problems,
- somnolence,
- high or low body temperature,
- changes in skin color including spots that appeared on the skin of a boy from Cornwall
- fast or slow heart rate
- low blood pressure
- low blood sugar.
Now Ezrah’s parents are doing their best to inform others of the threat. “We would not like anyone else to go through the hell we have been through” — say in an interview with the Daily Mail.
See also:
- Hepatitis also happens in children. This is a growing problem in the UK
- Babies placed in strange tubes. What is this all about? [WE EXPLAIN]
- Parents are usually responsible for this common trauma in children. What is a nurse’s elbow?