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The mother of a child who was left severely disabled after developing a critical illness just hours after his birth is taking legal action against the Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS Trust.

Reverend Charlotte Cheshire’s son Adam was born at the Royal Shrewsbury hospital in March 2011 but after just eight hours he was fighting for his life. He had developed Group B Strep, one of the most common causes of life-threatening illness in newborn babies in the UK. When he was eight hours old nurses noticed that he breathing was abnormal and that he was making grunting sounds while being unable to feed. At this stage he should have been transferred to the hospital’s neonatal unit for antibiotics to treat the condition, however this did not happen until seven hours later. Experts believe that if the condition had been identified sooner, Adam may not have suffered to the extent that he did.

Adam, now aged six, has been left profoundly disabled with visual and hearing impairments as well as autism and delayed development, and his Mum is now taking legal action against the hospital trust. Speaking about the situation she said “ Adam, at six years old has cost the NHS a great deal of money and will continue to do so for the rest of his life. All any parent wants for their child is for them to live a full and happy life, but Adam needs round-the-clock care and will continue to do so for the rests of his life.”

Although harmless to the women who carry it, Group B Strep can be fatal for babies, causing illnesses such as meningitis and blood poisoning. While treatable with a simple course of antibiotics, the UK does not routinely offer pregnant women the swab test that many other European countries do.

Childbirth is one of the most important parts of any mother’s life, and the most crucial for the child. It can be a time of great joy when things go well, but when things go wrong due to simple errors or delays parents need to know that support is out there to help them through such a challenging time. Our solicitors are highly experienced in this field having worked on countless successful medical and clinical negligence cases over the course of many years. If you or someone you care for has been injured or killed as a result of medical negligence you should contact us today to see how we can help you get the compensation that you deserve.