Helen Savage was almost full-term with little Samuel when doctors broke the tragic news that his heart had stopped beating. While a post-mortem examination wasn't carried out on the infant, stillborn on February 16 2005, there were blood and fluid tests which revealed the presence of the deadly Group B Strep (GBS) infection.

This is a preventable infection which affects around 700 babies in the UK every year, killing 75 and leaving 40 with permanent brain damage. Most GBS infection in new-born babies can be prevented by testing all women in late pregnancy and then taking precautionary action.

GBS is a normal bacteria carried by up to 30% of adults and can be passed from mother to child during labour. For most babies it is harmless but for some it can cause blood poisoning and meningitis.

Mrs Savage, who has since had two more children with her husband Sam, spoke to the Belfast Telegraph of her shock at the death.

"When I was 39 weeks pregnant, I noticed that I hadn't felt the baby move for a while. I went to the hospital to get checked out and was told there was probably nothing to worry about but that a scan would be done anyway," said the Lisburn woman.

"I was absolutely devastated when the doctor said 'I'm really sorry, he's gone. There's no heartbeat'. It was totally unexpected, everything had been fine with the pregnancy."

Mrs Savage, a PhD electrical engineering student at Queen's University, said GBS showed up in tests to establish how her baby died.

"It's rare that Group B Strep affects a baby and when it does it tends to be during delivery. But it somehow managed to get into my waters and Samuel died of the infection," she added.

The couple - now parents to one-year-old Aimee and six-month-old Nathan - had been particularly looking forward to the birth as Samuel was the first grandchild for both sides of the family.

Mrs Savage is supporting Group B Strep Awareness Week which draws to a close on Sunday. The Group B Strep Support Group charity is campaigning for pregnant women all over the UK to be offered a reliable test routinely on the NHS. It is available privately at a cost of around £32.

Local campaigner Susan Kyle is calling on the Assembly to back the issue.

The Maghaberry woman was found to be carrying GBS by chance when ten weeks pregnant with her son Daniel. Precautions were taken during birth and her son is now a healthy 17-month old.

"After the shock and fear about finding out about this condition, I became concerned that this well-known condition is not routinely tested for in the UK," she said.

"During this awareness week, we are asking people in Northern Ireland to contact their local MLA or MP to ask for accurate information about GBS to be supplied to pregnant women in Northern Ireland and a sensitive test for the condition to be offered on the NHS at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy."

Ms Kyle is organising an event at Stormont in the new year to raise awareness. She has already received the support of her local MP, Lagan Valley MLA Jeffrey Donaldson.

He said that he would be supportive of the introduction of a screening programme.

"This condition can be quite dangerous for expectant mothers and their children and sadly has resulted in loss of life in a number of cases," said the DUP man.

"It is clear that such infections in newborn babies can be dramatically reduced by offering screening to all pregnant women with particular treatment available for mothers who have previously had a baby with this condition."

For further information, email Susan Kyle on laganvalley network@googlemail.com or log on to www.gbss.org.uk or www.lifeafterloss.org.uk .