Angel

A baby is not supposed to die but very sadly some do. This 'Angel' is a memorial in honour of my beautiful neice, Ellen, a baby who should have lived but was gone too soon. She died in July 2000 suffering from Group B streptococcus. When a parent dies you lose part of your past; when a baby dies you lose part of your future. The tradgedy of a baby's death brings profound pain and grief. The wound heals but the scar remains forever. My sister and brother in law are strong survivors who have endured and dealt with lifes harshest blow. I admire them greatly for this, I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that they have suffered. An angel is a messenger. They do not die or age, they are immortal, they are guardians of souls. My angel is sent to try and ensure that there are fewer babies dying of Group B streptococcus each year. She is my messenger who brings hope, safety and peace to others. The purpose of the wings are to allow the angel to travel. Ellen will always be in our minds and she will continue to fill our hearts, she will remain 'forever young'. Ellen will not be forgotten, her journey continues as we look ahead.

Group B streptococcus infection (GBS) :   is the most common cause of life-threatening infections in newborn babies in the UK. GBS infects about 700 babies each year and kills around one in eight. Most of these infections could be prevented, yet awareness is low. It isn't clear why some babies develop an infection while others don't. What is clear is that most GBS infection in newborn babies can be prevented. What is GBS? GBS is a bacterial infection. It is not a sexually transmitted disease. Although up to a third of all men and women carry the bacteria in their intestines it rarely causes GBS infection, or side effects. GBS is generally only a problem for newborn babies. More rarely it can cause infection in adults, typically women during pregnancy or after birth, the elderly and people with serious underlying medical conditions which impair their immune system. How do I know if I carry GBS? If you do carry GBS, you won't necessarily know as there aren't usually any ill effects. There is a test available for GBS, but this isn't done routinely in pregnancy Pregnant women often find out that they have GBS by chance, when they have a vaginal swab taken to check for something else. Also, GBS can come and go, so even if you've had a positive test earlier in pregnancy, you may not have GBS as you approach delivery. It's important for pregnant women and their carers to know when babies are most likely to develop a GBS infection and what the signs of GBS infection in babies are. What problems can it cause? If a pregnant woman is infected with GBS, there is a chance she could pass it to your unborn baby. Most babies will not be harmed if their mother is infected, but GBS can cause early birth, stillbirth, late miscarriage and complications. Roughly a quarter of women of childbearing age carry GBS in the vagina at any one time. Of the babies infected with GBS, over 80% will develop symptoms such as breathing problems and blood infection in the first two days after birth. Most of these will make a full recovery. Some babies develop symptoms later, and these babies usually get a type of meningitis called GBS meningitis. One in eight babies infected with GBS will die. Of those that survive GBS meningitis, up to a third are left with long-term mental and physical problems. These can be very severe and can include sight loss, loss of hearing and lung damage. Once a baby has reached three months of age, GBS infection is extremely rare. What can be done? Another test has recently become available but is not yet routinely done on the NHS. This test, called the enrichment culture method (ECM) test, is more reliable and can be arranged, if you wish to pay for it, through your GP. Pregnant women who test positive for GBS should have antibiotics during labour, given through the vein (IV), to stop them passing the infection to their baby. Ideally, these women should have IV antibiotics for at least four hours before their baby is born. There are also recognised situations when a pregnant woman requires treatment because there is an increased chance that her baby will be exposed to GBS. These include when the mother's waters break early (before 37 weeks gestation), when labour starts early (again, before 37 weeks gestation) or when the waters break more than 18-24 hours before the mother gives birth. A woman who has already had a baby infected with GBS in the past, or who has a raised temperature during delivery is also at higher risk of passing on GBS to her baby. Scientists are trying to develop a vaccine for GBS, but technical problems mean that it's likely to be some years before one is available.