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Image source, Family handout Image caption, Ezrah's mum Sarah said he was "always so alert" By South West health correspondent The parents of a newborn baby who died from catastrophic brain damage caused by an infection are urging others to learn the signs of serious illness. Ezrah Pollard was 19 days old when he contracted Group B Strep (GBS), a bacterial disease that can be passed on by close physical contact with newborns. His mum Sarah Doolin said: "If other parents hear our story and can then help their baby - that's the best possible legacy for Ezrah." It is as The Lullaby Trust, a charity dedicated to preventing unexpected infant deaths, is urging new parents to set boundaries for people visiting their baby to reduce the spread of infection.
Image source, Family handout Image caption, Sarah and Craig said that Ezrah was a beautiful baby with a calm, gentle nature Craig Pollard, Ezrah's dad said: "Ezrah was beautiful. He was our first child, so he made us parents, which a huge thing. "He was and is my proudest moment." Sarah said: "He was definitely beautiful.
He was always so alert, so calm, and so gentle. "I didn't have the best labour. It went on for three days, but when he finally emerged he looked at us with these huge eyes and he just stayed that way - always curious." But 19 days after Ezrah's birth, the newborn began to seem unwell.
Sarah said she was not initially alarmed. Ezrah had been checked by the health visitor the day before and had fed well overnight. As the day progressed however, Sarah began to realise he needed help: "By the late afternoon, into the early evening, we were concerned that he was making a sound like he was coughing, but later we were told that that is grunting – a sign of infection in a newborn." Image source, Family handout Image caption, Baby Ezrah became unwell over the course of a day Ezrah was initially treated at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, a 20 mile drive from the couple's home in St Martin.
"We got to the hospital and I'm still wondering if I'm overreacting as Ezrah was alert and looking around," Sarah said. "But then I was taken into a room with a nurse, and I could tell she wasn't comfortable. She called for help and we were immediately taken to resus." "It very quickly became clear to me that Ezrah was really unwell," she added.
Image source, Family handout Image caption, Craig and his wife have raised more than £100,000 since Ezrah died Ezrah was transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital where it was discovered the infection had progressed. Despite the clinician's best efforts, nothing could be done. "I think the words were 'unsurvivable catastrophic brain damage'," Craig said.
"You hear the words but can't really take them in... it was agony. "It's the worst thing you can hear as a parent." Signs of infection Since Ezrah's death, Sarah and Craig have dedicated themselves to building a legacy for their son. They have raised more than £100,000 for charity and say they "always talk about him".
Craig said: "We carry him everywhere. Through everything we do, we carry Ezrah with us which is beautiful." The couple, who have a three-year-old daughter, say parents need to be informed of the signs of infection before they leave hospital. They say knowing what to look out for could save a life.
The NHS says symptoms may include , external a baby being floppy or not responding normally, grunting when breathing, very fast or slow breathing and an unusually high or low temperature. Sarah said: "We had to say goodbye to him and ever since we've been building a legacy in his memory and trying to raise awareness of infection. "Because, in an ideal world, newborn parents taking a baby home are positioned to know the signs and symptoms of infection better than anyone.
"That knowledge should be standard, and if you're not receiving it, ask for it. Sadly, it isn't always happening." Image caption, Sarah and Craig said they have dedicated themselves to building a legacy for Ezrah Newborn and postnatal discharge guidelines are led by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), in collaboration with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). These post-natal care guidelines , external include teaching parents how to look out for infection before a newborn is allowed home.
NICE guidelines state they should be discussed at every newborn discharge from hospital. It has also published guidelines for preventing bacterial infection , external in healthy babies. Sarah and Craig do not know how Ezrah contracted GBS, the infection that led to his death.
The latest figures , external show the number of GBS infections in babies under three months had risen in England the preceding two years before the latest statistics in 2024. GBS can be passed from mothers to babies during labour, but that shows signs within the first six days of a babies life. Ezrah died at 19 days old from what is called late onset GBS - which is less common - but could come from close physical contact, according to The Lullaby Trust.
The charity's chief executive Jenny Ward said: "Any infection that can be transmitted to adults can be transmitted to babies. "When a baby is born, they won't have immunity, through a vaccination or naturally, for lots of the common bugs that we have. "Plus, when you've got a new baby, lots of people want to come and visit them, but we're trying to help parents know how to do that safely.
"So we want parents to know it's OK to set boundaries around their newborns – limit visitors, insist on thorough hand washing and reduce unnecessary handling , external ." Image source, Family handout Image caption, Ezrah Pollard was 19 days old when he died from the infection Group B Strep Sarah and Craig are speaking now as some infection rates rise in the cold weather. They want parents to be equipped with the knowledge , external that could save their child's life. "I feel guilt that as a parent that I couldn't have responded quicker, and it's quite vulnerable to share that" Sarah said.
"But we've had some people reach out to us to say that their baby became unwell and they knew the signs and symptoms because they'd heard us. "And that is huge - to think that a baby's life might have been saved, maybe many babies' lives because they've had the knowledge I so wish I had had." Follow BBC Cornwall on X , external , Facebook , external and Instagram , external . Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk , external .
Source: BBC
