Strep B: Mum calls for all pregnant women to be tested

A pistillate whose babe became critically sick with a Group B Streptococcus corruption has called for investigating for each large women successful Northern Ireland.

Shannon Doherty's lad Rían became sick erstwhile helium was six weeks old. Blood tests confirmed helium had precocious on-set Strep B.

The babe survived but whitethorn person semipermanent wellness damage.

In Northern Ireland regular investigating for the corruption successful gestation is not presently recommended, the Department of Health has said.

The section said determination was "insufficient grounds to enactment it".

Group B Strep (GBS) is 1 of the astir communal causes of life-threatening infections successful new-born babies and it is fatal successful a tiny fig of cases.

Ms Doherty, from Londonderry, said that she had been diagnosed with the corruption during her pregnancy, and some she and the babe received antibiotics during labour.

She said she called an ambulance for her lad successful July aft she became acrophobic astir the colouring of his tegument and his breathing.

His information rapidly deteriorated and helium was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital.

Medics carried retired a lumbar puncture process connected the babe to effort to find the origin of his illness.

"That process truly took it retired of him. I was fearing the worst," Shannon told the BBC's North West Today programme.

"He was, thankfully, started truly aboriginal connected antibiotics; otherwise, helium wouldn't person made it through."

Most strains of the caller calved corruption tin beryllium prevented by investigating during gestation and providing intravenous antibiotics to women successful labour.

However, the UK does not routinely trial for GBS, dissimilar the United States, Canada, Germany, France and Spain.

Experts interest that regular investigating would spot antibiotics fixed to galore much women.

Ms Doherty took to societal media to item her family's acquisition arsenic she said she wanted to make consciousness astir Group B Strep.

She said the household present faced a waiting crippled arsenic Rían grows to get a afloat consciousness of the interaction the corruption has perchance had connected him.

"I watched my lad spell from a steadfast wee baby, to his beingness turned upside down," she said.

"His future, being capable to walk, speech and play shot is not guaranteed to us.

"I wouldn't person known I had Group B Strep with Rían lone I was tested erstwhile I had a kidney infection. That's not right. It should beryllium mandatory," she said.

She said she wanted to rise consciousness of the problems specified an corruption tin cause.

"My lad is simply a smiler. He wakes up each greeting with a wee grin connected his look and that's what motivates maine to support going.

"He's flooded a batch and that grin means the satellite to me.

"My connection to parents is: 'Don't beryllium acrophobic to speech openly astir Group B Strep.'

"People are tense to inquire maine astir it, what it is and what it means for the future.

"I judge that the corruption and what it tin bash is conscionable not highlighted capable wrong the NHS".

The Department for Health said that its presumption with respect to regular investigating is kept "under regular review".

"If you are acrophobic astir GBS, sermon it with your doc oregon midwife," it added.