Sitting next to her baby Malakai in Children’s Sunshine Ward, mum Akea Blucher-Jones plays with his fingers and toes, careful to avoid the intravenous tubes delivering antibiotics to his tiny body.

Malakai was only nine weeks old when a urinary tract infection quickly developed into sepsis.

With a temperature of 38.7 degrees and his heart racing at 240 beats a minute, Malakai was quickly admitted to Ipswich Hospital.

It was a rough start to parenting for Akea, who had given birth to a healthy 3.8kg baby only weeks before.

“Sepsis is pretty scary,” she said. “He was super lethargic and floppy the morning we came in. I never knew a serious infection could happen this quickly.”

Sepsis is more common in adults, but young children are also at high risk.

World Sepsis Day (13 September) aims to raise awareness of the condition, which occurs when the body is fighting an infection and begins attacking itself. Its symptoms often mimic that of other, less serious, illnesses such as a cold.

Ipswich Hospital Emergency Department Paediatric Consultant Samantha Fairless said early diagnosis of sepsis was vital.

“Sepsis is a rare but serious condition and, if you develop symptoms, you must seek medical assistance. You should always ask your treating team ‘could this be sepsis?’.”  

Signs of sepsis:

• Fast breathing, or long pauses in breathing
• Blotchy, pale or blue skin
• Cold to touch
• Rash that does not fade when pressed
• Drowsy or difficult to wake up or confused
• Floppy, fit or convulsion
• In pain or restless

As in Malakai’s case, treatment requires hospitalisation and antibiotics.

“It was very touch-and-go and has been very scary,” Akea said of Malakai. “He is so little. He is feeling better now, but we still have to keep an eye on him. He still has a cough and some breathing episodes.”

Visit https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/sepsis/ to learn more about sepsis and view stories from other families.