Gabrielle and David say parents need to be taught about GBS after their experience with baby Bowen
At just three weeks old, baby Bowen had settled into family life with his parents and older sister. But despite there being nothing obviously wrong, he would soon be on an intensive care ward, fighting for his life. Parents Gabrielle and David Heritage, both 30, believe that trusting their instinct meant their son survived “From birth Bowen was a really content baby, cried as a child usually would but would easily settle and definitely took my laidback genes,” David, from Bournemouth, said. “Our life in general was great, enjoying it with our daughter who was an absolute time steal in the best ways. “We were always planning on having another so when my wife became pregnant for the second time we were all in our little bubble waiting for the new arrival.”
Bowen was born in December 2023 but at three weeks old, Gabrielle had a strong feeling that something was wrong. “The only sign that my wife identified was that Bowen was crying more than usual; he didn’t cry too much in general so the signs were extremely minimal,” David explains. “I was out for the first part of the day in which my wife had Bowen. “She mentioned he had been a little more upset than usual and the usual things wouldn’t settle him like cuddles, playing, milk or sleep. I must say one of the most amazing things in the world is the instinct of a mother. “My wife said something isn’t right and she wanted to get him checked out so we did, and thank God we did otherwise the outcome could’ve been extremely different.” The next steps happened in the blink of an eye. Gabrielle took Bowen to A&E, where David met them. “I realised it was serious when Bowen was being cradled in Gabrielle’s arms lifeless and pale surrounded by several medical professionals rushing in and out of the room,” David recalls.
“We were taken to intensive care where there was a consultant waiting for us who confirmed they may need to ventilate Bowen and transfer him to Southampton. The next day, they confirmed Bowen had sepsis in his blood and had to have a lumbar picture to check for meningitis which he thankfully did not contract. “We were confused, scared and worried about what it meant for Bowen.” The little boy would eventually be diagnosed with late-onset Group B strep (GBS), which is the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies, causing serious infections including sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis. An average of two babies a day develop a GBS infection in the UK, and one baby a week dies. Most of these cases could be prevented through early diagnosis and timely treatment. Gabrielle had tested positive for GBS during a routine test in pregnancy but medics had told her not to worry. “She was given no information during pregnancy of what to look out for, so we just put it out of our minds and never considered that it could be something our newborn son would contract after birth,” David recalls. Bowen was initially treated for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). However he was also treated for GBS as a precaution, and his condition started to improve. “If it wasn’t for a urine test during pregnancy which then prompted us to inform the doctors that I tested positive for strep B, his treatment would’ve been different meaning his correct diagnosis could’ve been missed as at the time he was being treated for RSV,” Gabrielle adds. “Once we got the diagnosis of group B Strep sepsis and potential meningitis we realised just how poorly he was. He had tubes coming out of his nose, air was pumped into his lungs and he had injection after injection as well as IV antibiotics.”
A year on from Bowen’s diagnosis, he is happy and healthy, and looking forward to celebrating his first birthday. “We were extremely lucky that Bowen survived as well as making a full recovery with no other life-changing effects as others are not so fortunate,” David adds. “I will always celebrate and be thankful for the NHS and all of the medical professionals as each and every one person that dealt with ourselves and Bowen were incredible. The care was incredible and he was looked after so well. “I wish more people knew about what Group B Strep is, who it can affect, its dangers and risks, and what can be done to prevent it. Pregnant women should be given more information around Group B Strep during the pregnancy journey and routinely tested, and healthcare professionals should be aware of Group B Strep and the possible implications.
“More awareness needs to be raised about group B Strep, it is awful that 1 in 4 women carry it in pregnancy however there is no information given at all during this time.” David is running the London Marathon in 2025 to support the UK charity Group B Strep Support, which works to stop Group B Strep infection in babies. “I’m running the marathon so we can give something back and hopefully support other families who aren’t as lucky as we were,” David explains. “We may have been lucky, however it stole our newborn days with Bowen and instead filled us with dread as there is a chance of reoccurrence of Group B Strep infection up to three months old. I want to raise awareness to stop Group B Strep taking too many precious newborns too soon.” Find out more about Group B Strep Support at www.gbss.org.uk