A mum has shared a warning after her newborn son’s suspected heat rash turned into an emergency overnight and nearly a week in hospital.
Gabrielle Ingham had welcomed son Hayden Hopkinson just eight weeks beforehand, with the tot appearing perfectly healthy.
On 13 September, the 32-year-old spotted a light rash that had appeared around his ears and cheek, with light dotting on his chest.
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Due to looking relatively harmless, Gabrielle, who is also mum to 21-month-old Hallie, put it down to a simple heat rash.
But when little Hayden’s temperature had spiked by the following morning, she knew something more sinister was at play.
He was rushed to A&E, where doctors delivered the terrifying news that he had meningitis.
“I felt absolutely heartbroken – I was so worried about Hayden, but also blamed myself and questioned whether I should have realised something was wrong sooner,” Gabrielle, a retail manager from Durham, told Need To Know.
“At first, I thought it was just a heat rash, so I didn’t think too much of it.
“I think there’s an idea that meningitis always looks a certain way, but that wasn’t our experience at all.”
Before his temperature spiked, Hayden was generally fit and well, with “no indication that anything serious was wrong”.
It was only in the night following the appearance of the rash that Gabrielle and dad Chris became concerned.
They rang 111, who advised they take him straight to A&E, where it became clear that the situation was far more serious than they’d anticipated.
Gabrielle said: “Treatment was started straight away as soon as we arrived at hospital.
“Because Hayden was so young and had such a high temperature, the doctors took it extremely seriously, as a high temperature in a baby of his age can be very dangerous.”
Hayden was given two types of antibiotics and had to have two lumbar punctures as doctors fought the infection.
The tot remained in hospital for six days and was discharged on 20 September.
Thankfully, he has made a full recovery and doesn’t need any further check-ups.
Gabrielle added: “He’s back to being his happy self, which we are incredibly grateful for.”
Now, the mum is sharing their ordeal in a bid to raise awareness for the early signs of meningitis – including the small rash it had initially presented as for Hayden.
She said: “I wanted other people to see just how quickly babies can deteriorate.
“I would say a typical meningitis rash tends to be more purple with dark spots that can resemble tiny bruises.
“The rash he had wasn’t what people would necessarily consider a ‘typical’ meningitis rash.
“I hope by sharing Hayden’s story, other parents might recognise that something isn’t right and trust their instincts.
“Babies can become seriously unwell so quickly, and I think it’s really important for people to know that meningitis doesn’t always present in the way you expect.
“We will always be incredibly thankful to Durham Hospital for acting so quickly and taking such wonderful care of us both.
“During such a frightening and uncertain time, their kindness, care and reassurance meant the world to us.
“We are truly grateful for everything they did for us.”
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