Warning after baby dies from brain damage caused by group B Strep infection - symptoms to be aware of

Louise Martin's son Joshua was diagnosed with group B strep (GBS) three days after he was born before the infection - which is common among little ones - led to severe complications, including severe brain damage.

The 39-year-old became concerned about her baby when he started grunting and was not interested in feeding - signs of a GBS infection. A day after he was born, she was sent home from Lister Hospital in Stevenage, and called the hospital twice with her concerns, only to be told there was nothing to worry about.

Then, at two days old, Joshua was re-admitted, diagnosed with GBS meningitis and put on a ventilator. Tragically, he suffered severe brain damage, and lived for eight months with severe complications before he died in his mother's arms.

“The pain of losing Joshua is still as raw now as it was then, we loved him so much,” said Louise, of Hitchin, in Hertforshire. "We have lost our beautiful son, our daughters a brother who they adored, and grandparents have lost their only grandson.”

Now, she is calling for expectant mums to be tested for group B Strep in the final throes of their pregnancy in a bid to prepare medics for possible complications in the newborn. "I believe that Joshua would still be here with us and experiencing a happy, healthy life if the GBS infection was diagnosed earlier,” she said. 

“It was only after researching more about it that I realised how common GBS is. It’s difficult to understand why more isn’t done to identify and prevent it causing infection."

It comes after solicitors Irwin Mitchell secured an undisclosed settlement for Louise from the Hospital Trust - which did not admit liability - in connection with Joshua’s care. However, a root cause analysis investigation report by the Trust found the management and communication of Louise’s Group B Strep carriage status was “inappropriate”. 

Louise added: "While it’s too late for Joshua I just hope that by speaking out I can help raise awareness around GBS. If I can help others by sharing what happened to our family then maybe Joshua’s death won’t have been totally in vain. 

"I wasn’t advised about GBS in any of my other pregnancies and the only thing I remember during my pregnancy with Joshua was a midwife asking at an antenatal appointment if I’d previously been diagnosed with GBS, which I hadn’t. 

“I didn’t know what GBS was at the time, so I didn’t think more of it. I’ve always been nervous during my pregnancies as a result of losing our first baby but my pregnancy with Joshua felt relatively straightforward.”

But that all changed once he had been born, she explained, despite being told there was “nothing to worry about”. 

“Even when we were sent home, I felt something wasn’t right," she went on.

Louise and her husband also had a stillborn son in 2012 caused by a blood clot in his brain, resulting in Louise’s subsequent pregnancies being classed as high-risk. She was admitted to hospital on New Year’s Eve 2020 and due to Covid restrictions was alone and was induced that afternoon. 

Joshua was born at just after 6am on New Year’s Day 2021. Following an initial feed, within a couple of hours of being born Louise was concerned that Joshua had started grunting, struggling with his body temperature, and not interested in feeding. 

The pair were allowed home on January 2 but Louise continued to be concerned and called the hospital that night, only to be told there was nothing to be concerned about. The following morning, Joshua, who had not woken up in the night for a feed and was floppy and cold, was taken back to hospital. 

On January 4, 2021, he was admitted to neonatal intensive care and diagnosed with GBS infection. Following his diagnosis Louise asked to be tested to see if she carried GBS, which came back positive, after initially being told it was negative. 

Doctors believed Joshua may not survive but he was discharged from hospital in February 2021. However, the brave youngster lived with severe complications before he died, in his mum’s arms, aged just eight months. His death certificate said he died from respiratory failure as a result of a severe brain injury following GBS infection.

Louise instructed expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate their care under East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, which runs Lister Hospital. Alexandra Highfield, from Irwin Mitchell, said: “While usually harmless to the estimated one in four women who carry the bacterium, a small number of babies will fall seriously ill, or even die, when exposed to GBS bacteria around birth. 

“However, a simple test can be conducted to highlight whether an expectant mum is a carrier of the bacteria, and her care plan can be adjusted to ensure intravenous antibiotics are provided throughout labour to prevent the baby developing an infection. Understandably Louise and the rest of her family remain devastated by Joshua’s death and the circumstances surrounding it. 

“While nothing can make up for the pain they continue to endure, we’re pleased that we’ve at least been able to secure this settlement allowing them to put the legal case behind them. What happened to Joshua vividly highlights the dangers of GBS infection and the need for everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms.” 

Jane Plumb MBE, chief executive of the charity, Group B Strep Support, added: “Understanding group B Strep and the availability of antenatal testing can make a life-changing difference. Knowledge is power, and in the case of group B Strep, it is a vital tool that can prevent tragedies like the loss of Joshua.”