Simple test could make all the difference
Jozef Davies almost lost his newborn child to a lifethreatening condition known as Group B Strep. Here, he recalls the traumatic turn of events and explains why he’s so passionate about raising awareness of the common infection
My partner Lindsey and I had never heard of Group B Strep before our daughter Lillie-May Davies was born on December 30, 2012.
Lillie-May became seriously ill just a couple hours after being born. Fortunately the doctors spotted something was wrong with her breathing and she was taken away for tests.
It was an awful time for Lindsey and I, to see our baby girl so small and so sick.
While Lindsey showed her emotions, I hid mine so I could be as supportive as I could for her – but I was terrified inside.
Our daughter was taken to the Special Care Baby Unit at Singleton Hospital in Swansea where doctors found out that she had Group B Strep infection in her lungs.
I later learned that the infection commonly presents as pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis.
Thankfully Lillie-May didn’t have sepsis or meningitis. A lumbar puncture that could have diagnosed meningitis came back clear, but she was still kept in hospital for a week on antibiotics.
As a parent it was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through, seeing LillieMay so ill in special care. Lindsey and I felt so helpless.
After the doctors were sure the infection was gone, Lillie-May came home with us having a clean bill of health.
After we were safely home I did more research into the condition, coming across the charity Group B Strep Support. I quickly learned that Lillie-May was one of the lucky ones.
On average two babies a day in the UK develop the Group B Strep infection, with one baby a week dying and another baby being left with longterm disability.
Frustratingly, all our worries and Lillie-May’s infection could have been prevented with a simple test that would have cost the NHS just £11.
Luckily Lillie-May turned out fine, but so many other families were going home without babies, or with babies who had life-changing disabilities.
If Lindsey had been screened for Group B Strep, she would have been given antibiotics in labour, which would have reduced the chance of Lillie-May getting sick by around 85%.
I think it’s awful that the UK health service isn’t screening all pregnant women. I know the NHS is pushed for money, but Lillie-May’s time in the Special Care Baby Unit must have cost thousands, compared to the cost of the test.
If we’d known about the test while Lindsey was pregnant, we’d absolutely have paid to get it done privately.
Since then I’ve been fundraising for Group B Strep Support. In 2015, with a small team of friends, I completed the Three Peaks Challenge, climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon all within 24 hours and raising more than £600.
Then in 2016 we climbed Snowdon and followed that up with a 155-mile cycle back to Swansea, raising around £1,300.
I’m now a volunteer ambassador for Group B Strep Support and raise awareness of the condition locally so that people don’t have to go through what Lindsey, Lillie-May and I did.
Streptococcal infections are any type of infection caused by the Streptococcus (‘strep’) group of bacteria.
There are many different types of Streptococci and infections vary in severity from mild throat infections to pneumonia.
Streptococci are divided into two key groups:
1. alpha-haemolytic - made up of two groups, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Viridans Streptococci
2. beta-haemolytic - made up of Group A and Group B Streptococci
Group B Strep usually lives harmlessly inside the digestive system and, in women, in the reproductive system.
It tends to only affect newborn babies and usually causes more serious types of infection. It is estimated that one in five pregnant women have Group Strep B bacteria in their reproductive system and/or digestive system.
The bacteria can sometimes be passed onto the baby through the amniotic fluid (a clear liquid that surrounds and protects the unborn baby in the womb).
Group B Strep infections are thought to affect one in every 2,000 births.
It is also possible for a baby to contract the infection as it passes through the birth canal during labour. As newborn babies have a poorly developed immune system, the bacteria can quickly spread through their body, causing serious infections such as meningitis and pneumonia.
Healthcare professionals take a preventative approach to treating Group B Strep infections by trying to identify babies at high risk of developing such infections and giving injections of antibiotics (intravenous antibiotics) to the mother during labour.
Alternatively, the baby can be given intravenous antibiotics shortly after birth.
■ For more details please go to the Group B Strep Support website at gbss.org.uk