​Recognize the Symptoms of Infection!

WHAT GBS SYMPTOMS DO BABIES SHOW?​
…during pregnancy?
Contact your care provider immediately if you experience either:
  • Decreased or no fetal movement after your 20th week  (Note: While the type of fetal movements may change in the third trimester, there is no evidence to support that the number of fetal movements decrease because “there is less room for your baby to move.”(1))
  • You have any unexplained fever
…once born?​
Call your baby’s care provider immediately or take your baby to the emergency room if you notice any of these signs:

Sounds ~
  • High-pitched cry, shrill moaning, whimpering
     (To learn more about Wren's story, please click HERE.)
  • Inconsolable crying
  • Constant grunting or moaning as if constipated or in distress
Breathing ~
  • ​Fast, slow, or difficult breathing
         (Note: Being unable to latch can be a sign of  breathing difficulties)
Appearance of Skin ~
  • Blue, gray, or pale skin due to lack of oxygen​
Picture
   


   Top: Premature but otherwise healthy Jasmine




    Below: Jasmine with cardiovascular shock-induced
    pallor due to late-onset GBS disease
   
    (To learn more about Jasmine's story, please click HERE.)
  • Blotchy or red skin​
  • Tense or bulgy spot on top of head (fontanel)
         (Note: A sunken fontanel can be a sign of dehydration, possibly from not eating--see below)
  • Infection (pus and/or red skin) at base of umbilical cord or in puncture on head from an internal fetal monitor
Eating and Sleeping Habits ~
  • Feeds poorly or refuses to eat, not waking for feedings
  • Sleeping too much, difficulty being aroused​ ​
Behavior ~
  • Marked irritability
  • Projectile vomiting
  • Reacting as if skin is tender when touched​​
  • Listless, floppy,
  • Not moving an arm or leg
GBS can infect a baby's bones and joints.

Molly survived two GBS infections in the same bone.  
  • Blank stare
  • Body stiffening, uncontrollable jerking ​
Body Temperature ~
  • Fever or low or unstable temperature; hands and feet may still feel cold even with a fever​​​ ​
GBS is a very fast acting-bacteria that can make a baby critically ill often within a matter of just a few hours!
Special thanks to Cheyenne's mother for sharing the following progression photos showing how rapidly GBS can become life-threatening:
This was Monday when we went for her 2 week check up and everything checked out great:
This was Tuesday and she had some diarrhea but otherwise was just sleepy. Now looking back at these pictures there was a huge difference from Monday to Tuesday in her head and the swelling. I wish I would have caught it sooner and maybe she wouldn't have had the strokes she did:
This was Wednesday morning June 11 the day my life changed. This was around 11am:
This picture was Wednesday afternoon around 6pm after we got to the NICU. They tried bipap first but had to intubate later that night.: 
This was Wednesday night June 11 around midnight. Her heart rate wouldn't come down and the swelling in her head made her so startled she would scream and her heart rate would go up more so they sedated her and intubated her:
(To learn more about Cheyenne's story, please click HERE.)
​If you would like to share an audio/video clip or still image of your baby displaying one or more of the above symptoms, please contact us at [email protected].
New! The Signs of GBS Infection in Babies, customizable on the back in honor or memory of your baby.  Perfect to take to your local hospital to give to new parents!
Picture
Download our convenient Symptoms of GBS Infection in Babies with bulleted points and three to a page with room for emergency contact info! Post visibly for quick reference for your baby's family and caregivers.  
Click HERE to join July's "What If We Had Known...?" campaign to

LEARN from the experiences of GBS parents worldwide
CONTRIBUTE to empower more parents being informed about GBS
SHARE so everyone knows about GBS!​
(1) Preston S, Mahomed K, Chadha Y, Flenady V, Gardener G, MacPhail J, Conway L, Koopmans L, Stacey T, Heazell A, Fretts R and Frøen F for the Australia and New Zealand Stillbirth Alliance (ANZSA). Clinical practice guideline for the management of women who report decreased fetal movements. Brisbane, July 2010.