Mum shares Strep A signs to watch out for after infection left child hospitalised

A mum has shared some Strep A warning signs to look out for after her daughter contracted the infection, which left her hospitalised and unable to walk.

Kadie Dolphin, 37, from Warrington, Cheshire first noticed symptoms of the infection on November 8 and just hours later her daughter was in hospital, bed-bound and with severe swelling.

Thankfully, Nancie Rae Dolphin, six, has since recovered and, according to her mum, is back to her normal bubbly self.

The mum-of-five has decided to share the family's harrowing experience to help other parents recognise the symptoms in their own children.

“The doctors said that it being caught early was reason she got well so quickly," Dolphin explains. “I was absolutely petrified. At the point where she started to turn really bad, we didn’t know what it was and it felt like it took forever to find out what was wrong."

"The doctor said, 'We really are concerned' and it was then that I thought, ‘Oh God’.

“The worrying thing is that I didn’t know what was going on – I was looking at her thinking, ‘Am I going to walk out without my daughter?'”

Dolphin, a healthcare assistant and mum-of-five, first noticed that something was wrong when her daughter came downstairs at 6pm complaining of an itchy belly.

On closer inspection, she noticed there was a small mark resembling a mosquito bite on Nancie Rae's tummy and her knee.

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She gave her daughter an anti-histamine and thought nothing more of it, until the following morning when her daughter had a high temperature and a rash where the ‘bites’ had been.

"The rash was all over her belly," she says. "It was a weird, flat rash and she was very hot to touch.”

Dolphin tried to get a GP appointment but was told nothing would be available until 6pm that day and by 9.30am, Nancie Rae’s hand had begun to swell up.

Deciding not to wait, Dolphin took her daughter to Halton Urgent Care centre and within five minutes of arriving the pair had been placed in a room and seen by a doctor.

While doctors initially believed it to be an allergic reaction, as Nancie Rae's hands, face and lymph nodes continued to swell, it was decided she should be moved to Warrington Hospital.

On arrival, she was given Amoxycillin antibiotics while blood samples and a throat swab were taken. Following the results, Nancie Rae was diagnosed with a Strep A.

Recalling the experience Dolphin explains: “I went to Halton Urgent Care and said I thought it was a reaction so one doctor gave her a Piriton, but another doctor said it wasn’t typical for an allergic reaction.

“She was swelling up before our eyes," Dolphin continues.

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Shortly after arriving at Warrington hospital, Nancie Rae had lost the ability to walk, every joint was swollen up and she had an extremely high temperature.

"That was when they took a throat swab for Strep A," her mum explains.

“Throughout the night the medicine wouldn’t kick in and they kept coming back saying she’s not getting better – she was kind of awake but she was very floppy and couldn’t hold herself up.

“Amoxycillin is useless to Strep A, so they changed from steroids to penicillin.”

She was given penicillin via an IV drip but due to the high concentration of the antibiotic, it left the youngster with a burning sensation in her arms.

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Doctors continued to monitor her condition for the next two days and thankfully, after 48 hours, Nancie Rae’s condition began to improve and after the swelling reduced, she was sent home with antibiotics.

While she was left with some lasting effects, including damage to her kidneys and a secondary infection, she has now recovered at home.

Her mother is keen to highlight the care her daughter received while in hospital and alert other parents to the symptoms.

"I can’t fault the NHS whatsoever – they were absolutely amazing and really on the ball," she says. “All we keep hearing about is the children passing but that’s not all it is.

"She’s home and fine now, and, as awful as it was, we need to build immunity.”

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Strep A symptoms parents and caregivers should look out for, according to NHS website:

- Flu-like symptoms such as a high temperature, swollen glands, or an aching body

- Sore throat

- A rash that feels rough, like sandpaper

- Scabs and sores

- Pain and swelling

- Severe muscle aches

- Nausea and vomiting

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Earlier this month Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency, revealed the signs and symptoms parents should try to be alert to including a "strawberry tongue", a "sandpaper" type rash and a sore throat and temperature that doesn't ease with medication.

What to do if you're concerned about your child

The UKHSA advises that if a parent believes their child seems seriously unwell, they should trust their own judgement.

Contact NHS 111 or your GP if:

• your child is getting worse

• your child is feeding or eating much less than normal

• your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration

• your baby is under three months and has a temperature of 38°C, or is older than three months and has a temperature of 39°C or higher

• your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty

• your child is very tired or irritable

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

• your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs

• there are pauses when your child breathes

• your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue

• your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

Additional reporting SWNS.