THEY say a mother’s instinct is always right – and it’s something Sophie Whieldon is telling others.
Her six-month-old daughter Niamh Redfern nearly died from meningitis which she says was twice missed by doctors.
The infant had been unwell with a cold for a couple of weeks when she first took her to see the GP.
She was sent home but her condition continued to worsen and Sophie, from Leek, Staffordshire, called 111 for advice.
Sophie told the Stoke Sentinel: “Niamh was very pale, hard to rouse, couldn’t keep her eyes open or her head up, had a bulging soft spot and was not taking in any fluids.
“A paramedic team came to our house and after taking her temperature decided the best course of action was to take her hospital, where she was diagnosed with a throat infection.
“They advised us to return within 24 hours if she was not improving with the antibiotics they prescribed her.”
Mum’s instincts
Niamh still hadn’t improved by the next night, so Sophie took her back to hospital.
Despite expressing concerns that the tot really wasn’t herself, she was sent away again with doctors still sure it was a throat infection.
Sophie said: “Two days later our daughter’s leg began to jitter so we called the hospital and they advised us to return for a third time.
“There it was confirmed to us that she was having a seizure, which by this point had lasted for over two hours.
“It was then all hands on deck by medical staff and what followed was a couple of days in CHDU (Children’s High Dependency Unit) waiting for a diagnosis. It finally arrived: Niamh had meningitis”.
Tough times
The following weeks were a blur for Sophie and Niamh’s dad Scott Redfern as their daughter was given a lumbar puncture, suffered further seizures, had a continual soaring temperature and an MRI scan.
After the scan they were told it was pneumococcal meningitis and to expect a long period of intravenous antibiotics.
The couple were also warned to expect after-effects of the disease.
Eventually Niamh was transferred to Liverpool’s Alder Hey Hospital for another couple of weeks.
Symptoms of meningitis
Meningitis can affect anyone but it’s most common in babies, teens and young adults.
It’s often mistaken for being flu and in some cases, people can seem hungover.
But the longer you leave it, the more at risk you become of things like blood poisoning – which can be fatal.
Symptoms of meningitis develop suddenly and can include:
- a high temperature (fever) of 38C or above
- being sick
- a headache
- a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but this will not always develop)
- a stiff neck
- a dislike of bright lights
- drowsiness or unresponsiveness
- fits (seizures)
You need to seek medical help ASAP.
Even when people do survive meningitis, it can leave them with life-long issues such as hearing or vision loss, epilepsy, amputations and memory problems.
Sophie finally started seeing an improvement in her baby, who was alert, drinking and her cheerful old self, but they noticed some other issues she hadn’t had before.
She said: “We noticed she was not responding to loud noises like she would have before – most memorably a fire engine drove past her with its sirens on and she didn’t turn her head to the noise.
“We knew deafness was a very common after-effect and asked her consultant for a referral to audiology where we were given the devastating news she had lost her hearing completely in her left ear and was severely deaf in her right ear.
“Although we knew it was likely, to actually have it said to us was so heart-breaking. Niamh was fitted with hearing aids two weeks later and we are now going through the candidacy process for cochlear implants.
“As far as we know, Niamh has made a full recovery in all other areas, but she does take anti-epileptic medication. We will find out if she had any other lasting after-effects as she develops.
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“She is responding well to the hearing aid in her right ear and is back to her old cheerful, playful, loving self which is so wonderful to see.
“If there is one thing I would say to parents and guardians, it would be to know symptoms of such illnesses, trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to express your concerns. Don’t wait for a rash to appear.
“You know your child better than any medical professional and you are their voice.”