Group B Strep: Get Informed

Tuesday 27th of August 2013 | Category: Pregnancy News | Written by: Siobhan Thomas

It has been in the news this week but for many pregnant women it’s not something they’re familiar with. Here’s a quick blog to bring you up to speed with what it is, why it’s making headlines and what your choices are for you and your baby.

Group B streptococcus: What is it?

GBS is a bacterium that lives healthily in the vagina in approximately 15-30% of women in the UK
Whilst it doesn’t usually cause any problems for either the baby or the mother during childbirth, there are some situations in which it can be the cause of serious neonatal infection.
There is a risk of approximately 50% that GBS will be passed onto the child during labour
Less than 1% of affected babies develop GBS disease
GBS infections can be fatal, but they can also leave babies with long term disabilities such as cerebral palsy.

Factors that increase the chances of a baby developing a GBS infection include:

Maternal fever during labour
Ruptured membranes more than 18 hours in advance of labour
Premature babies
A previous infant affected by GBS disease

Action against GBS in the UK

Routine screening is not available on the UK but medical professionals may decide to test for GBS in some pregnant women. Women are also able to request a test if they would like one. Private companies offer mail order kits, but you should speak to your midwife before purchasing one of these as there issues surrounding the effectiveness of home testing.

Where a woman has been found to be a GBS carrier or is thought to be at high risk for other reasons, antibiotics are given intravenously during labour to reduce the chances of infection in the baby. These are thought to be effective in reducing the chance of a GBS infection, however antibiotics are not without their own risks for either the mother or the infant.

So it’s in the news because…?

According to researchers at Public Health England, the number of babies contracting GBS disease is increasing. Many mothers feel let down by the lack of information made available to them and the fact that there is no routine screening. Dr Nicholas Embleton agrees that the screening programmes available in countries such as the US are more effective than our 'risk approached' screening in the UK, however these programmes do have their drawbacks.

Embleton claims that around 300 women per 1,000 would be found to be carriers if screened routinely. Many of these babies would have a healthy infancy and problems arise when giving so many women antibiotics. There is a risk of an allergic reaction to the antibiotics in the mother. There is also a danger that bacteria resistant to antibiotics could develop, causing illnesses in the baby which could be equally as dangerous as GBS infections.

What should you do if you're expecting?

Talk to your midwife about your options and any risk factors associated with your pregnancy. At this stage there is no clear argument that demonstrates that screening for everyone is necessarily the best way forward, but if it is something you decide you want then you do have the right to it.

The biggest complaint amongst parents is the lack of information on GBS, but whilst it isn’t being offered on a plate there is nothing to stop you from doing your own research. There is lots of helpful information available through the charity Group B Strep Support and on the NHS website.

Even if you decide not to be screened it is usually helpful to feel informed about these things. Then, if you are unfortunate enough to be affected by them in the future, the terminology isn’t completely alien to you.