Tiny Leah wins battle for life

9:53am Tuesday 18th March 2008

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BABY Leah Wheatley is back in her parents' arms after a terrifying battle against meningitis left her on a life-support machine.

The little girl was just four weeks old when she was taken ill at home in Warndon, Worcester.

Her parents took her to their GP but an initial diagnosis of colic meant she was not admitted to hospital until the next day.

Once at hospital Natasha and Matthew Wheatley faced every parent's worst nightmare as she battled the potentially-fatal infection.

"They had to resuscitate her," said 27-year-old Mr Wheatley.

"She stopped breathing four times in 10 minutes."

The couple first took Leah to Berwyn House Surgery in Shrubbery Avenue, Barbourne on Thursday, February 28.

She was irritable, floppy and unresponsive and the couple say the GP diagnosed colic - stomach pains which are common in small babies.

The next morning, however, her symptoms were worse and a frantic Mr and Mrs Wheatley, of Cranham Drive, Warndon, returned to the GP.

Leah was immediately referred to the accident and emergency department of Worcestershire Royal Hospital where a lumbar puncture - a common test of cerebrospinal fluid - confirmed she had meningitis, although it was not determined which kind.

She was given antibiotics, but by the following day her condition had deteriorated and she needed two blood transfusions.

With no improvement in her condition she was then transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital where she was on a life-support machine for five days. She remained in intensive care before returning to WRH on Tuesday.

Leah - who was born two weeks premature - eventually returned home on Thursday.

Today she is due to have an MRI scan to find out if the disease has left her with any long-term damage.

"I had this instinctive feeling that she had something more than colic," said 24-year-old Mrs Wheatley, full-time mum to Alisha, six, Georgina, four, Matthew, three, and 16-month-old Amelia.

"First-time parents might have just accepted what their GP said and by the time they realised it was meningitis it could have been too late.

"If Leah hadn't gone to hospital when she did she probably wouldn't be here."

The Wheatleys say they are planning to move to another GP surgery and intend to go straight to hospital in the future if they are worried about any of their children.

Diagnosing meningitis is notoriously difficult, according to Worcestershire's director of public health Dr Richard Harling.

"When it first presents, the symptoms are similar to a range of less serious illnesses," he said.

"GPs and other healthcare staff have to make a decision of the best course of action. Even with the best healthcare they can sometimes get it wrong.

"This happens very rarely and where the Primary Care Trust has reason to believe that doctors and nurses have failed in their professional duty, they would take the appropriate action."

Dr Harling urged parents to get their children vaccinated against meningitis as soon as their health visitors advised, although Leah was not yet old enough to be vaccinated.

A spokesman for Berwyn House Surgery said he could not comment due to rules governing doctor-patient confidentiality.

Signs and symptoms
These may appear in any order over a number of days or in a matter of hours. It is also possible that there may be additional symptoms.

Symptoms in babies and infants may include:

• High temperature, fever with cold hands and feet
• Vomiting and refusing feeds
• High pitched moaning or whimpering cry
• Blank staring expression
• Pale itchy complexion
• Floppiness
• Dislike of being handled
• Fretful
• Neck retraction with arching of back
• Convulsions
• Lethargic and difficult to wake
• Tense or bulging fontanelle (soft spot on head).

Symptoms in adults may include:

• Headache
• Confusion
• High temperature, although hands and feet may be cold
• Drowsiness
• Vomiting
• Stomach pain, sometimes with diarrhoea
• Rapid breathing,joint or muscle pain
• Sensitivity to bright lights, daylight or even the television
• Neck stiffness
• Rash of red or purple spots/bruises that does not fade when you press a glass tumbler or finger against it

Advice from the Meningitis Trust

• Meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) are not always easy to recognise, and symptoms can appear in any order
• Some may not appear at all. In the early stages, the signs and symptoms can be similar to many other more common illnesses, for example flu
• Trust your instincts. If you suspect meningitis or septicaemia, get medical help immediately
• If someone is ill or obviously getting worse, do not wait for spots or a rash to appear