Mum says a Facebook group saved her son's life: Here's how to spot Sepsis symptoms
A woman has shared how she discovered her baby son had sepsis thanks to a parenting Facebook group.
Now Jasmine Stevens is keen to spread awareness of the symptoms of the potentially deadly infection, recently sharing the signs to look out for on her own TikTok profile.
The 21-year-old, stay-at-home-mum, from Northamptonshire, admits that if she hadn't stumbled across the knowledge herself online, she believes things could have "ended very differently" for her son.
Stevens says alarm bells started to ring after a bereaved mum posted about the symptoms of sepsis, including having skin that looked mottled and a high temperature, which her son Mateo, then four months, was suffering with.
"We assumed the mottled skin was him trying to regulate his temperature," Stevens explains. "He gets a high temperature when poorly, so it wasn't a major cause for concern."
But Mateo's condition soon deteriorated further and he began to suck in his ribs - another tell-tale sign of the deadly condition - and spent the day generally sleepy in her arms.
"That made me realise something more serious was going on and I wondered if he had sepsis," Stevens continues.
"I'm in a Facebook group for mums. There's a lady in there whose baby sadly died from sepsis, and she's always sharing the symptoms - the mottled skin, the high temperature, and the sucking in of the ribs."
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Having tried to feed Mateo, Stevens says he then went floppy.
"When his head rolled back, I blew on his face to help him regain consciousness," she continues. "Thankfully, he came round and I called an ambulance.
"At this point, his temperature was about 40 and it wasn't coming down."
Stevens, who has two children, explained that by the time they reached hospital, her son was also suffering from "raspy breathing".
He was immediately admitted, due to his poorly condition, was started on antibiotics and had a cannula fitted.
During his week-long stay in hospital, the family discovered that Mateo had a bacterial virus - the leading cause of most sepsis cases, as reported by the World Health Organisation.
"It was confirmed that he had sepsis on the sixth day," Stevens explains.
"It took almost a week for his temperature to start coming down, but he was still very sleepy.
"His hands and feet were cold until about a week after as well. But you could see progress throughout the days - he started interacting a bit more and being more awake throughout the day."
Watch: Gloria Hunniford was hospitalised with kidney sepsis
Now, almost a year on from the family's ordeal, last November, Mateo is doing well, and loving life as a happy, healthy 16-month old.
Stevens hopes that by sharing her son's story, she can help other parents recognise sepsis symptoms as early as possible.
Dr Chun Tang, medical director and GP at Pall Mall Medical in Manchester, says: "Sepsis is a serious medical condition that can affect individuals of all ages, including babies.
"It occurs when the body's response to infection causes widespread inflammation and can lead to organ dysfunction or failure."
Dr Tang says detecting sepsis in babies can be challenging because their symptoms may be subtle, and they cannot communicate their discomfort.
"However, there are some tell-tale signs and symptoms that may indicate sepsis in infants: fever or hypothermia, rapid breathing, poor feeding, irritability or lethargy, change in skin colour, jaundice, rapid heart rate, decreased urine output, vomiting and diarrhoea, and swelling," she continues.
"It's important to note that these signs and symptoms can be nonspecific and may overlap with other common infant illnesses.
"If you spot any of the warning signs of sepsis in your baby, it's crucial to take immediate action to seek medical help. Sepsis is a medical emergency, and early intervention is critical for a better outcome."
Where to get help for sepsis
The Sepsis Trust offers support for survivors and relatives in addition to advice on dealing with bereavement and legal issues. The charity can also connect you to support groups and much more.
The NHS has plenty of information on sepsis symptoms.
Sepsis Research FEAT is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting research to help identify treatments for sepsis, while also working to raise awareness of this devastating condition.
Additional reporting Caters.
