Thomas’ miracle recovery inspires awareness effort
16.05.11
FOR the first 23 days of Thomas Worsley's life, his parents were blissfully unaware that his tiny body was battling a killer bacteria.
The newborn had contracted a form of neonatal meningitis called Group B Strep during labour and was soon fighting for his life.
Now, after a frightening period in hospital, Thomas is thankfully on the mend and doctors are hopeful he will make a full recovery.
The heartrending ordeal has prompted his parents Lee and Jo to join forces with charity Meningitis UK to raise awareness of the disease, which is the most common cause of severe infection in newborn babies in the UK.
It's believed that GBS affects about one in 1,000 babies in the country and sadly around one in 10 will die, with half of survivors suffering a permanent disability.
Lee says that alarm bells started to ring when Thomas didn't want to feed, which he usually did routinely every three hours.
Lee said: "This was when we first felt that something wasn't right. He was making a disgruntled noise – it was very quiet, like a whimper.
"A few hours later he had a rising temperature of about 38 degrees. That was the point we went straight to the out-of-hours doctor."
Thomas was pushed to the front of the queue at Chippenham Hospital, where a nurse initially suspected a respiratory problem but referred them to the Royal United Hospital in Bath to be on the safe side.
He was seen straight away by a paediatric registrar, who decided to start antibiotic treatment immediately while they awaited test results.
Jo added: "We were told Thomas had suspected meningitis. We tried to stay rational and clear thinking but it felt so surreal.
"We had gone from the three of us having our first day out together in Bath to sitting in hospital and being told that Thomas had a life-threatening disease.
"Everything was very painful for him, with any slight movement or noise causing him to flinch.
"We felt completely helpless as we couldn't even pick him up. Lee and I were just sat there looking at him, willing him to respond."
Thomas was taken in on the Saturday, March 19, and started to show signs of progress on the Wednesday when his temperature began to drop and stabilise.
The brave youngster passed a hearing test and doctors were at last confident that he had turned a corner.
Lee said: "For the first four days it was like time had stopped. It was a huge relief when he started to react to things.
"Thankfully he was allowed home after two weeks because he responded so well. Everyone says that he's a tough cookie."
Lee and Jo set about doing some research into Group B Strep (GBS) to find out how Thomas had caught it and were shocked to discover it was the most common severe infection in newborn babies, yet they hadn't come across it in any of the parenting books and magazines they'd read.
Roughly a quarter of women of childbearing age carry the GBS bacteria in their vagina at any one time. There is then a chance that the bacteria will get passed to the baby during or just before labour.
A swab test is available for GBS but isn't done routinely on the NHS as results aren't always reliable.
Lee and Jo have joined forces with Bristol-based Meningitis UK as the charity's mission is to find a vaccine to protect against all forms of meningitis.
Scientists are trying to develop a vaccine for GBS but technical and ethical issues surrounding the vaccination of pregnant women need to be addressed.
Lee said: "We think that a vaccine is the best solution but until then prospective parents need to be aware of Group B Strep and know what symptoms to look out for.
"We felt that we were very well-read, having subscribed to parenting magazines and read lots of books but Group B Strep was never on our radar. Thankfully our instincts kicked in and Thomas was treated in time but we strongly feel that there's a need for better awareness.
"More NHS Trusts should offer the option of testing and should take that opportunity to explain to parents what the disease is and the risks posed by it."
Every week, six families have to face the sudden tragedy of losing a loved one to meningitis.
Because its symptoms are notoriously difficult to spot, Meningitis UK believes a preventative vaccine is the only way to safeguard future generations.
Its Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign aims to raise £7million to help fund cutting-edge research to help achieve this goal and save thousands of lives in the future.
Steve Dayman, who founded Meningitis UK after his son Spencer died from the disease, said: "We've met Thomas and he's a lovely lad. We're so glad that he's pulled through after such a frightening ordeal.
"Thankfully Lee and Jo trusted their instincts and he received excellent treatment.
"It's very hard to educate people about the different forms of meningitis but Group B Strep certainly needs to be on people's radars given that it's the most common cause of severe infection in newborn babies.
"Because meningitis can kill in less than four hours, early recognition, diagnosis and prompt treatment can mean the difference between life and death.
"Unfortunately not everyone makes a full recovery like Thomas and the disease kills hundreds of people each year. Meningitis UK's ultimate goal is to find a vaccine to eradicate meningitis. Until this is achieved it's imperative that everyone's aware of the symptoms."
The charity is offering the public free symptoms information packs to help raise awareness. These include a leaflet with all the facts and frequently asked questions, plus a 'Check the Symptoms' fridge magnet and handy wallet-sized symptoms cards.
To order your free symptoms information pack or for more information about Meningitis UK, call 0117 373 7373 or visit www.meningitisUK.org
GROUP B STREP FACTS
- Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a bacterial infection which can be passed from mother to baby during or just before labour
- The vaginas and/or rectums of approximately a quarter of all women of childbearing age are colonised with GBS at any one time
- About one in eight babies will become colonised with the bacteria at birth and 1 in 1,000 will develop the invasive disease
- Each year, about 600 babies develop severe GBS infection, including pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitisAround 70% of identified cases in the first three months occur within the baby's first week of life
- An estimated 60 babies die each year in the UK as a result of GBS infection, but this could be higher – a death rate of about 1 in 10
- Up to a half of the survivors of GBS meningitis suffer permanent mental and/or physical problems, ranging from mild to severe learning disabilities, impaired sight, impaired hearing and lung damage.
- Typical symptoms of early-onset (within the baby's first six days) GBS infection include grunting, poor feeding, lethargy, low blood pressure, irritability, abnormal temperature (high or low), heart rate and/or breathing rate (fast or slow) which can cause blueness of the skin due to lack of oxygen.
- Typical symptoms of late-onset GBS infection, including meningitis, may include fever, poor feeding and/or vomiting and drowsiness.
MeningitisUK · Registered Charity No.1076774
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