Mother, 23, calls for NHS to test ALL pregnant women for common bug

Bethany Ford, 23, of Mitcham in south west London, passed group B streptococcus to her three-year-old son Grayson during birth

A mother is calling for all pregnant women to be tested for a common bug that has left her baby with brain damage.

Bethany Ford, 23, of Mitcham in south west London, passed group B streptococcus to her three-year-old son Grayson during birth.

The common infection, carried by one in four women, wasn’t spotted until she went into labour, meaning it was too late for her to get antibiotics. 

Grayson was immediately whisked to a special care baby unit with meningitis, which was later found to have been caused by GBS.

He has now been left with a brain injury that has caused global development delay – which causes children to take longer to learn how to walk and talk. 

Grayson also tends to be impulsive and can go from calm to angry very quickly, his mother added.

And he has difficulty processing things, which has led him at times self-harming by  pulling his own hair. He also struggles to sleep through the night and to communicate.

Ms Ford said: ‘The older Grayson gets the more we are noticing just how far behind other children his age he is.’

She and her partner are calling for all women to be tested on the NHS for group B strep between 35 and 37 weeks into their pregnancy.

One in every 2,000 babies is diagnosed with the infection, according to figures from the NHS. It can kill, and does so in around 10 per cent of cases.

Pregnant women are routinely screened for the bacteria in the US, Canada, France and Slovenia – but health chiefs in the UK claim the tests are not effective. 

Grayson was immediately whisked to a special care baby unit with meningitis, which was later found to have been caused by GBS

Grayson was immediately whisked to a special care baby unit with meningitis, which was later found to have been caused by GBS

He has now been left with a brain injury that has caused global development delay - which causes children to take longer to learn how to walk and talk

He has now been left with a brain injury that has caused global development delay – which causes children to take longer to learn how to walk and talk

Grayson also tends to be impulsive and can go from calm to angry very quickly, his mother added

And he has difficulty processing things, which has led him at times self-harming by pulling his own hair

Grayson also tends to be impulsive and can go from calm to angry very quickly, his mother added. And he has difficulty processing things, which has led him at times self-harming by pulling his own hair. He also struggles sleeping and to communicate

Grayson was discharged from hospital two weeks after his birth in December 2015 -but was then readmitted several weeks later (pictured in hospital)

Grayson was discharged from hospital two weeks after his birth in December 2015 -but was then readmitted several weeks later (pictured in hospital)

Following further tests, Ms Ford and her partner Keith Harris were told Grayson had a brain injury and now has global development delay (pictured in hospital)

Following further tests, Ms Ford and her partner Keith Harris were told Grayson had a brain injury and now has global development delay (pictured in hospital)

Grayson was discharged from hospital two weeks after his birth in December 2015 -but was then readmitted several weeks later.

Following further tests, Ms Ford and her partner Keith Harris were told Grayson had a brain injury and now has global development delay. 

Ms Ford said: ‘The first few weeks of Grayson’s life were incredibly traumatic and no parent should have to see their child suffer and struggle in the way he did.

‘It is also difficult to take that following his birth it seemed like the doctors did not initially think there was any cause for concern.’

Ms Ford, who said she experienced a routine pregnancy, added: ‘We love Grayson so much and are determined to ensure that he gets the best from life.

‘However, we think it is also vital steps are taken to ensure that group B strep testing is undertaken a lot earlier than it was in our case.

‘It’s important to talk about this issue and we believe something needs to change.’ 

Ms Ford and her 32-year-old partner have since asked specialist medical negligence lawyers to investigate their son’s care.

Richard Kayser, of legal firm Irwin Mitchell said: ‘A simple test can be conducted to highlight whether an expectant mother is a carrier of GBS.’

He added that her ‘care plan can be adjusted to ensure IV antibiotics are provided throughout labour to prevent the infection being transmitted’.

Discussing GBS, Mr Kayser said: ‘Everything possible must be done to prevent this infection in babies.’

Ms Ford and her 32-year-old partner Keith (pictured with Grayson) have since asked specialist medical negligence lawyers to investigate their son's care

Ms Ford and her 32-year-old partner Keith (pictured with Grayson) have since asked specialist medical negligence lawyers to investigate their son’s care

Ms Ford, who said she experienced a routine pregnancy, added: 'We love Grayson so much and are determined to ensure that he gets the best from life' (pictured in hospital)

Ms Ford, who said she experienced a routine pregnancy, added: ‘We love Grayson so much and are determined to ensure that he gets the best from life’ (pictured in hospital)

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, where Ms Ford gave birth, said it was unable to comment on this particular case.

Ramesh Ganapathy, the trust’s clinical director of women and children’s services, did say it follows guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

He added: ‘We fully recognise how serious and in some cases, devastating, it is when this bacteria spreads to a baby.

‘As a result, we have agreed in principle to take part in a trial of universal screening for group B strep.

‘We hope this trial will provide the evidence needed around universal screening, and we will implement any subsequent changes to the guidelines.’

The Government advisory panel, the UK National Screening Committee, carried out a review of testing for GBS in pregnancy back in 2012.

Known as the enhanced culture method, the test simply involves taking a swab from the woman. It would cost the NHS approximately £11 per patient.

The body concluded not all women who test positive for GBS will go on to develop the infection or pass it on to their babies.

As a result, blanket screening would mean pregnant women would be unnecessarily given antibiotics, which carry their own risks to the foetus.

Some studies have linked antibiotics used in pregnancy and labour to obesity and asthma in children. 

In premature babies, an increased risk of cerebral palsy has been associated with use of some antibiotics in labour.

The review was carried out in collaboration with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Midwives and NHS England. 

WHAT IS A GROUP STREP B INFECTION?

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a bacteria that is carried by up to 40 per cent of adults, usually in the gut, and 25 per cent of women in their vaginas, without typically causing symptoms.

One in every 2,000 babies is diagnosed with the infection, according to figures from the NHS. It kills in around 10 per cent of cases.

 The rate of GBS infection in newborn babies in the UK is 2.5x that of the US. 

GBS infections usually affect newborns, occasionally adults and very rarely babies during pregnancy and before labour.

Infants can suffer early-onset GBS infections, which are much more common and occur when the infant is up to six days old, if they come into contact with the bacteria in the womb or during birth.

This causes them to develop rapid breathing problems and blood poisoning.

Late-onset GBS infections, which occur between seven days and up to three months, usually cause sepsis and meningitis.

Babies’ symptoms include:

  • Fever
  • Bluish-coloured skin
  • Seizures
  • Limpness or stiffness
  • Vomiting
  • Poor feeding 
  • Diarrhoea
  • Fussing 

Adults may experience infections of the:

  • Skin and soft tissues
  • Bones and joints
  • Lungs
  • Urinary tract 

GBS infections are linked to stillbirths, premature deliveries and maternal infections. 

The treatment for sufferers of any age is IV antibiotics.

Source: Group B Strep Support 

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