Late onset GBS in baby (warning may be distressing to pg women)

[Arcadia]

I just heard of a tragic story of a 14 day old baby dying from late onset GBS. She was born healthy at home and at day 8 displayed feeding problems. Hospital confirmed GBS that day and started IV antibiotics immediately. Sadly she was not able to recover and died in hospital six days later.

Has anyone heard of this? I mean I know GBS is a bacterial infection and it lives everywhere and women are tested late in pg to avoid early onset GBS in a newborn, but late onset? Meaning after 7 days?

I don't want to google and scare myself, but being pg I have been shaken by this sad story.

[Heaven]

Wow, that is so sad I have never even been tested for GBS in any pregnancy and wouldn't know what to look for in a baby either No one has ever even mentioned it to me.

[Little Chicken]

Yes I have heard of it, and have unfortunately seen it. It is a nasty infection to put it simply. Early onset usually presents as sepsis (blood borne) or congenital pneumonia. Late onset as meningitis. Unfortunately even timely antibiotic treatment is not always successful.

[CinderToriella]

Yup there is late onset as well .
I was positive this last pregnancy but I gave birth to dd2 in the car so no time for Antibiotics anyway ..
I watched dd At home after I left hospital , I was well researched and knew all the signs to look out for ..

It is very sad indeed, it seems to silly that we can have GBS and be fine yet it dangerous for our babies:/

[little_O]

I'm the same as heaven. It's never been mentioned to me and I was never tested.

[jellybean88]

I've heard of it and was tested both pregnancies but was negative but I think you can still test positive after a negative result??

[PumpkinZulu]

I've heard of it and was tested both pregnancies but was negative but I think you can still test positive after a negative result??

Yes you can, just like you can test positive and then negative later on.

I've never been tested but have watched both my babies temps for a few days after birth.

[LionsandBears]

I know of this little girl, sadly. It appears it is just bad luck and that antibiotics would not necessarily prevent it. The story has also scared me. I feel so badly for her family.

[CinderToriella]

Yeah it's one of those things that can come and go through your whole pregnancy .

[Arcadia]

Yes this is different from maternal GBS, meaning the baby picked it up in the post-birth environment, so it doesn't matter if the mother tested positive or negative. The baby contracted it from the home/other people.

Yes it comes and goes which is why testing is so unreliable.

[RainbowRiver]

I have only been tested once out of 4 babies, that being #4. It was negative (39+1 it was done when waters broke). However, my baby was admitted to scn 24 hours later, notes say sepsis, 5 days of strong antibiotics. GBS was never mentioned, and never told what it was (other then they think it was due to PROM, leaving them ruptured to long + me only getting 1 dose of AB in labour). She also had a lumber puncture on day 5 to rule out meningitis

RIP baby girl...

[Teeki]

How awful, that poor family

I was tested last pregnancy but really wasn't told much about it. I certainly wasn't told about late onset and what to look out for.

[Dansta]

Yes I have heard of it, and have unfortunately seen it. It is a nasty infection to put it simply. Early onset usually presents as sepsis (blood borne) or congenital pneumonia. Late onset as meningitis. Unfortunately even timely antibiotic treatment is not always successful.

thats interesting as DJ had pneumonia at birth -i was GBS+ and a 31hr labour and had Ab's again with vic i was GBS+ also had ABs - but the labout was 1hr 43mins and they suspect he had meningitis at less then an hour old.

its heart brakeing for that famliy

[Arcadia]

L&B the midwives are holding a tree planting ceremony tomorrow at 10am at their clinic if you're around? I am going to try and go, but tomorrow I also see my dear friend who lost her daughter at 37 weeks, so it might be too much emotional stuff in one day. Yes RIP baby girl. So so sad

[~Hestia~]

That is so sad.

[Bella29]

Oh how tragic.. That poor family. .

[Eenee]

So sad.

Even sader I guess it's one of those tragic circumstances that no matter what you do the worst happens...

[BellyBelly]

Sadly a case of GBS does happen from time to time and it gets doctors vigilant again - then we dont hear about it for a while and it becomes more relaxed.

My Ob was a fertility specialist Ob and prone to interventions, but he never tested for GBS, because it is transient. But he said he can usually tell if a bub has it by the way it smells - and will give ABs if higher risk for GBS - e.g. if bub is premature, ROM for an extended time etc.

But thats just standard GBS. A post birth infection is sad but could happen anywhere, its terribly unfortunate