by Gerry Warren

Parents of a baby boy fear he may be brain damaged after a crucial delay diagnosing him with E. coli meningitis.

Michelle Hayman and Jarno Keen, from Shipman Avenue, Canterbury claim a critical 24 hours was lost when their seven-week-old son George (pictured right) was showing the symptoms.

Instead, mum and baby were turned away from hospital after being told he simply had 'feeding issues’.

Now little George is in St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, being treated for the deadly bug which may have caused him brain damage.

He can open only one eye and Michelle, 27, who is at his bedside, believes his eyesight and hearing have been damaged.

She is particularly upset because George contracted the infection shortly after birth at the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, on November 20, and was kept in for three weeks while being treated with antibiotics.

Speaking from the London hospital she said: “I told them his history but even then they didn’t do the right tests, which surprised me, and just said he had feeding issues.”

The drama happened shortly in the new year when the family, including the couple’s older son, William, six, were together at home.

On January 2, George became poorly with sickness and diarrhoea and would not feed.

Given his previous illness with E. coli meningitis, they took him to the Kent & Canterbury Hospital, which advised them to go to the children’s specialist Padua Ward at the William Harvey Hospital.

It was then they were told it was a feeding problem and sent home.

But the following morning he was still ill and restless and they telephoned the hospital for advice.

Michelle (pictured left) said they were simply advised to give him Calpol.

But when his condition deteriorated further they rang again and a doctor told them to bring him in immediately.

Further tests including a lumbar puncture revealed the infection and he was immediately taken by emergency ambulance to the specialist infectious diseases hospital in London.

Michelle, whose partner is back in Canterbury looking after their other son, said: “Because of his age, the hearing and sight tests are not conclusive.

“But the MRI scans show he has some brain damage and clearly something’s not right with him. He can’t open one eye and doesn’t seem to be able to see or hear.

“Meningitis is every parent’s nightmare because your children are your life.

“Everyone knows you have to act quickly and I would have thought that as he had previously had the infection, the hospital would have been straight on to it.

“He is getting fantastic care now but we don’t know exactly what lasting damage has been done.”

She added: “Ironically, we have just received a letter at home from the William Harvey Hospital confirming his discharge from the hospital with 'feeding issues’.”

Dianne Cobb, lead nurse for child health at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are extremely sorry that baby George contracted meningitis.

“When he was first brought to the William Harvey Hospital on January 2 with feeding concerns, he was observed for a period of time and a doctor examined him specifically for signs of meningitis, among other things, but found none.

“However, every patient is very important to us and because George deteriorated so quickly after being discharged on January 2 we are carrying out a full investigation into his care.”

See more reaction in this week's Kentish Gazette.