Page 9 | Strep A - are you worried?

lucylollipop · 2022-12-06T09:42:06+00:00

Apologies if there are already threads on this. I haven't seen any yet. News in today that a 9th child has sadly died from strep a. I have primary school age dc and a young baby so I'm worried about them getting sick and also bringing bugs home to the rest of us. I'm not clued up enough to know if this is comparable to flu deaths in kids? I suppose I just wondered if others are worried? Given the state on the NHS at the moment it isn't a great time to get unwell.

BesidetheseasideXxx · 07/12/2022 15:54

ForTheLoveOfSleep · 07/12/2022 15:50

@BesidetheseasideXxx Your information is wrong and fear mongering. 9 children have died since September (still awful know). Not the last few days. Do some research for god sake.

Sorry my mistake. I was talking about all the news stories I've seen over the past few days making me worry and didn't write correctly.

luxxlisbon · 07/12/2022 16:07

Eugh confirmed case in nursery room, only 7 kids in the room.
Just got over hand foot and mouth, bronchiolitis and a chest infection in the past 6 weeks now probably scarlet fever in the Christmas stocking. Brilliant.

Somethingsnappy · 07/12/2022 17:04

Citycentre3 · 06/12/2022 23:48

I would like to know if there is a possible link between breastfeeding and getting a milder form of strep if caught?

I am currently still breastfeeding my 1 year old, and I fed my 5 year old until 16months.

There is no guarantee of course, but antibodies from the mother pass to the baby in her milk, which will be constantly fighting against any infection. This will happen if the mother has had contact herself with the infection, but also if a baby has had contact with it, signals will be transmitted via the baby's mouth whilst feeding, triggering antibody production for the specific infection in the baby's environment. It's all very clever! I'm not sure there have been any/many studies specific to the Strep A infection yet, but the system works the same way with any infection, and the general advice is that continuing to BF your baby through a Strep A infection is definitely beneficial.

Blocked · 07/12/2022 18:58

chickchickpox · 07/12/2022 14:05

@massivecringe I am in Shropshire (midlands) I haven't heard of any cases in my daughters school or my youngest nursery, or in the local area so I am shocked to have received that text off my surgery. I am hoping if their are cases in the school or nursery they will let parents know as I will pull them out for awhile.

There's a case in my sons class at school and the school haven't told us. If the mum hasn't let us know on the WhatsApp group we would be none the wiser.

ADifferentKindofChristmas · 07/12/2022 19:32

No.

User98866 · 08/12/2022 20:26

Oh gawd. I’m ok until I read one of these scare stories in the daily Mail about kids who seemed ok and then suddenly died or deteriorated. I’ve always
ways been reassured by my GP that you you know if you child was seriously ill. Dc has been spiking a temp on and off for a few days, cough but no other symptoms yet SF is rife in the nursery.

massivecringe · 08/12/2022 22:08

I think I'm going to keep ds off. And I'll tell the school honestly why... it's nearly Xmas anyway, school has scarlet fever going round, more deaths have been reported today. They can fine me I don't care, I just can't cope with the worry

wondersun · 08/12/2022 23:23

Brunilde · 06/12/2022 10:29

I think you've missed the point they are trying to make. Antibiotics should be used when needed, for any child. They shouldn't be used be simple viral illness where they won't be any good just to placate parents who won't go away without it. Doctors will prescribe where they feel there is a clinical need, but your average cough does not require it, regardless of the strep situation at the minute.

Show quote history

When my child had it around 4 years ago I had to push for antibiotics whilst a swab was sent off. They dismissed as not being scarlet fever - the rash had gone by the time we were at the doctors. No time / capacity for swabs, preventative antibiotics are needed.

Wish the country hadn’t infected children with covid again and again. A virus shown to damage your immune system. The press are blaming it on lockdowns, which is far more convenient than giving consideration to the dangerous virus ripping through schools for the last couple of years.

MerryHen · 09/12/2022 05:59

I am always worried when DD gets ill because DS got very poorly very quickly as a newborn and died (suspected group b strep infection at the time, I also developed sepsis and was on high dependency care for a few days but no definite cause was ever confirmed for either of us.) So yes, I am worried about what's happening at the moment.

When you're part of that very small percentage of people whose child has been very ill and died it's hard to not imagine the worst with things like this. Last year DD (then 2yo) became quite poorly: very high temp not coming down with analgesics, had rigors, was lethargic, dehydrated, mottled skin, generally unwell. We could not get seen by GP, called 111 and waited for a Dr call back, eventually took her to A&E 20 hours after calling 111 when she started vomiting green fluid. I felt bad about going to A&E with something our GP could have originally seen to but by that point I was so worried she had sepsis and was going to die and felt like noone was helping because the health services are so stretched. A&E identified tonsillitis with white patches, therefore likely bacterial so prescribed abx, she turned a corner but was unwell for a couple more weeks.

So my worry is her being in that very small minority of children who do become very unwell, and not being able to access healthcare if she does. I never want to go through having another one of my children die, and even one preventable child death is one too many.

User98866 · 09/12/2022 07:27

MerryHen that is so so awful. I’m sorry for your loss. No wonder you are anxious. I’m horrified that a GP couldn’t see your DD! It’s so scary.

BesidetheseasideXxx · 09/12/2022 08:25

MerryHen · 09/12/2022 05:59

I am always worried when DD gets ill because DS got very poorly very quickly as a newborn and died (suspected group b strep infection at the time, I also developed sepsis and was on high dependency care for a few days but no definite cause was ever confirmed for either of us.) So yes, I am worried about what's happening at the moment.

When you're part of that very small percentage of people whose child has been very ill and died it's hard to not imagine the worst with things like this. Last year DD (then 2yo) became quite poorly: very high temp not coming down with analgesics, had rigors, was lethargic, dehydrated, mottled skin, generally unwell. We could not get seen by GP, called 111 and waited for a Dr call back, eventually took her to A&E 20 hours after calling 111 when she started vomiting green fluid. I felt bad about going to A&E with something our GP could have originally seen to but by that point I was so worried she had sepsis and was going to die and felt like noone was helping because the health services are so stretched. A&E identified tonsillitis with white patches, therefore likely bacterial so prescribed abx, she turned a corner but was unwell for a couple more weeks.

So my worry is her being in that very small minority of children who do become very unwell, and not being able to access healthcare if she does. I never want to go through having another one of my children die, and even one preventable child death is one too many.

I'm so so sorry for your loss x