Doctors sent our baby home with chickenpox... but it was meningitis
A BABY almost died of meningitis after doctors said her symptoms were probably chickenpox, her mother claimed yesterday.
Carly Hicks said she took sixmonth-old Lily to A&E, where she developed as many as seven symptoms of the deadly disease.
But doctors sent her home – and hours later a tell-tale purple rash ‘erupted’ across her back. After an emergency transfer to Great Ormond Street Hospital she was given only a 20 per cent chance of surviving.
Following almost a week in intensive care, however, Lily pulled through and is now recovering at home.
Yesterday Mrs Hicks revealed pictures of Lily fighting for her life as she joined calls for a wider roll- out of the new meningitis B vaccine Bexsero, currently available only to babies.
Lily was born on June 19, 12 days too early to receive the jab under an NHS scheme giving it to all newborns. Mrs Hicks was told she could still receive it as part of a ‘ catch- up programme’ for babies born in May or June but her local surgery, the Theobald Centre in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, said none was available.
Mrs Hicks said: ‘I went out of my way to try to get my daughter protected and I think it’s terrible there weren’t enough stocks.’
The veterinary nurse, 29, said that on January 10 Lily started shivering, had a high temperature and was breathing with a moan. They arrived at Watford General Hospital A&E at about 7.45pm and she was placed under observation.
While there, her family say, she developed seven symptoms of possible meningitis, including pale, mottled skin; vomiting; and becoming unresponsive. Her mother said three red spots appeared on Lily’s back which did not fade under pressure, which later increased to seven, while she had a temperature of 102F.
Lily was sent home at 2.30am with oral rehydration sachets after doctors said she had chick- enpox or a viral infection. But by 7am she had a purple rash across her back and Mrs Hicks and her husband Rickie, a company director, called an ambulance.
Lily was taken to Barnet General Hospital where she was stabilised before being transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital. ‘Doctors told us that she only had a 20 per cent chance of survival,’ her mother said. ‘I thought she was going to die.’
She spent five days in intensive care being treated for meningococcal septicaemia before returning to Barnet General where she was finally discharged after two weeks.
Now her parents have joined the call for Bexsero to be made available for children up to the age of 11. A petition has attracted 700,000 signatures.
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Watford General, said it was investigating what happened. The Theobald Centre declined to comment. Public Health England said all babies born from May 1 should have received the meningitis B vaccine.