Group B Streptococcus is the UK's most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies and of meningitis in babies under age 3 months. On average in the UK, at least-two babies a day develop a group B Strep infection -one baby a week dies from their GBS infection, and-one baby a week survives with long-term disabilities – physical, mental or both. Yet most group B Strep infections are preventable. Group B Strep Support informs families & health professionals about group B Strep to save tiny lives.

I have seen first hand the impact of this on my family, with my nephew contracting Group B Strep in 2022 and then subsequently Meningitis as a result, leading him to spending the first few weeks of his life at Great Ormond Street. My brother's story is below:

"At 18 days old, we took our soon Louis to A&E, completely unaware that our lives were about to be completely turned upside down. He had refused 2 bottles, was extremely tired and wouldn't settle unless he was on me or my partner. He also sounded like he had milk stuck in his chest. We decided to take him to the hospital, hoping we were just being over paranoid first parents and would be sent home again, but we couldn't have been more wrong.

Within 10 minutes of arriving at the hospital, he had gone grey and floppy and was barely breathing. Within minutes of notifying the staff, he had 10 doctors and 2 consultants around him, and he was put on life support. He had 2 seizures within that moment. The days and weeks that followed were the hardest days of our lives.

The next morning, following a blood transfusion, he was blue lighted to Great Ormond Street Hospital to start his treatment in intensive care. During his time there, he had 2 brain scans, 2 lumbar punctures, a machine to keep him breathing and he was fed through a tube. We couldn't hold our tiny new born for 4 days. They felt like the longest 4 days of our lives. Our bodies ached to hold our baby. 

He was diagnosed with Group B Streptococcus, which then led to meningitis. He was barely recognisable during his stay. His whole body was puffy and swollen from the fluids and drugs, and his tiny body was covered head to toe in wires and cannulas. 

He was in hospital for a total of 15 days and we ended up taking him home on his actual due date."