Postnatal infections need urgent attention
A Manawatu¯ mother who was desperately ill with the same sort of infection that killed a new mum at Palmerston North Hospital is urging women not to hesitate to get help if they feel feverish in the days after childbirth.
Midcentral Health has confirmed there were three cases of Strep A postnatal infection in recent weeks and is investigating the care of the woman who died.
Te Papaioea Birthing Centre said the two women who had their babies between late December and early January at the Ruahine St primary birthing facility went home well and later developed Strep A infections five and 14 days, respectively, after birth.
They and their babies were now well.
A spokeswoman for the birthing centre said their thoughts and condolences were with the family of the woman who died.
She said the midwives who delivered the three babies all tested negative for the bug.
The Manawatu¯ mother, who spoke anonymously to Stuff, said her experience with the bacterial infection was three years ago.
She had just had her second baby, at home, and her labour had gone so well the baby arrived before the midwife did.
But within the next 24 hours she began to feel feverish and unwell, with pain in her lower abdomen.
She called her midwife, who visited, and within 48 hours of having the baby she was admitted to hospital with a massive infection, ‘‘but I probably needed to be there earlier’’.
The woman was treated with intravenous antibiotics and stayed in hospital for nearly a week. ‘‘I had heard that infection can be common after birth, but I did not realise how deadly it can be.’’
She said she did not want women to be scared or worry unnecessarily, but they needed to be aware how urgently an infection needed to be treated.
The birthing centre spokeswoman said pregnant women often carried Group B Strep in the birth canal and the bacteria was often picked up in urine tests or vaginal swabs.
Those women were given antibiotics in labour because the bug could be a risk to babies.
Group A Strep was different, as it was carried on the skin or in the throat rather than in the birth canal.
The symptoms of infection after birth could come on rapidly, with fever or generally feeling unwell, similar to symptoms of a breast infection.
‘‘If a woman is experiencing flu-like symptoms after having a baby or thinks she might be getting a breast infection it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible.’’
Group A Strep spread from person to person through coughing and skin contact, and could survive on unclean surfaces.
Good hand hygiene was the best prevention.