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Baby Fights for Life After GBS Sepsis
12 Oct
Summary
- Newborn diagnosed with sepsis and meningitis
- Group B Streptococcus is a leading cause of severe infant infection
- Doctors initially gave the infant little chance of survival
A family's joy turned to despair when their three-week-old son, Leo, was rushed to University Hospital Southampton exhibiting serious illness. Doctors diagnosed the infant with sepsis and meningitis, stemming from Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a bacteria that affects about a quarter of women and is the primary cause of severe infections in newborns.
Specialists informed Leo's parents, Laura and Matt, that the prognosis was grim, with severe infection throughout his brain. The medical team suggested the best possible outcome would be for Leo to breathe independently but remain in a vegetative state, requiring tube feeding. This situation highlights the critical dangers GBS can pose to newborns.
