experience with neonatal bacterial meningitis?

umcRN, BSN, RN · Dec 31, 2011

You might want to post this in the NICU forum.

I have only ever taken care of one baby with severe GBS meningitis. Sadly he died from it. I'm not sure what long term effects might occur on those who survive. I would imagine everything to the baby being totally fine to severe disability and everything in between

dixRN · Jan 1, 2012

Even if the baby seems ok when discharged, you have to wait & see if they hit those developmental milestones. We don't see the longterm effects in the NICU. I would ask your pediatric neurologist or their NNP what they see as they are the ones to do the long term followup on these children.

jpeters84 · Jan 1, 2012

I was wondering if anyone had any NICU nurses had experience with this. I know it is a rare infection but there are enough of you out there that maybe you've seen a case or two. Are long-term effects inevitable?

As a survivor of neonatal bacterial meningitis I can say I was one of the lucky few that did not have any sequelae. Now as a NICU nurse I know that it can lead to hearing loss, vision loss, mental retardation, and many other conditions. It just depends on the course of the illness and the neonate. You can easily google all of the potential long tern effects. Nothing is inevitable. The doctors told my parents I wasn't going to make it through the night and here I am 30 years later as a NICU nurse so nothing is inevitable.

nursearoo · Jan 2, 2012

I was wondering if anyone had any NICU nurses had experience with this. I know it is a rare infection but there are enough of you out there that maybe you've seen a case or two. Are long-term effects inevitable?

I have 1st hand experience...my own child got this at 3 weeks of age.....perfectly healthy prior to getting sick. This is a really bad infection for anyone, but especially a new baby. She was bent backwards with her feet touching the back of her head....in a donut shape...and stiff as a board. We were told she was not going to make it....almost 2 months in the hospital....sent home to basically die. She made it but not without severe disabilities from the after effects....quadraplegia, feeding tube, seizures, unable to regulate own temp, legally blind.....she lived to be 21 and passed away a month after her birthday from sudden kidney failure..... I would never wish this infection on anyone....it really is one of the most horrible illnesses that can happen to a new baby........ I became a nurse though because of her.......

21strawberry · Jan 3, 2012

Thank you all for your responses. MrsReillyRN, I am truly sorry for the loss of your daughter...I cannot imagine being in your shoes but commend you for giving her as many years as you did and for helping countless others as a nurse. My nephew is currently hospitalized and fighting this infection, and appears to be doing well...so just wanted to see if anyone out there had experience with it. And jpeters84 I did hear a similar story to yours and that is so encouraging. Thank you for sharing!

dawnebeth · Jan 5, 2012

We had a baby who had e coli meningitis--she went home okay, but after months of antibiotics. Amazingly, despite hydrocephalus, she seems very normal (for a 2 month old).

However, I know of a different case where a baby got bacterial meningitis on a trip to Asia, was hospitalized there and then came back to the US. She was very damaged by the time I saw her, and I don't know how long she had antibiotics, care, etc, because she was a friend of my daughter's. But at the age of two, she was like an infant--she did eventually learn to walk, etc but will always be delayed.

21strawberry · Jan 9, 2012

Thanks, dawnbeth. My nephew has been in the hospital for a little over two weeks now. his initial CT and EEG were negative and he appeared well clinically, other than likely having a massive headache. they've had trouble the past few days successfully getting an LP, but finally did today. It appears after two weeks of abx, there is still growth in his CSF. I'm surprised that something can still by growing with all that he was getting, but maybe it's another organism. His original organism was E. coli as well. I think the plan is for an MRI tomorrow, hopefully we can put some concerns to rest that way.