Group B Strep (GBS)

[Charlie:-)]

Hello just posted this in 1st tri and thought you might also find this info useful,

I read about GBS in Pregnancy & Birth Magazine.

GBS is the most common cause of bacterial infection in newborn babies, usually presenting within the first 24-48 hours after birth , resulting in disease at birth and up to 3 months of age.

Up to a third of all men and women carry GBS in their intestines without symptoms and it can be treated without harm to mother or baby when detected.

Testing for GBS is not offered by the NHS but you can pay for the test yourself for about £35.

Here's the website so you can take a look yourself, theres also a link to a petition to get screening done on the NHS.

http://www.gbss.org.uk/

I hope you find this info useful

 

[Kimbo]

i asked my midwife about this and she said if theres any concern after the birth then they'll test?

 

[lisa&alex]

and having the test for it, if positive can cause no problems to new borns, there are only a few cases that cause problems..i wont be having the test..

 

[smile]

i wouldn't have the test unless I had symptoms...

there is research that looked at how many women would have to have antibiotics in labour to prevent one baby getting sick... it found that you would end up killing more women through antibiotic allergy than the babies you would save..

which is doctors would only do swabs and look for it if there were symptoms or you were high risk (like if you had another baby that was affected as there seems to be some sort of genetic link)

 

[Becksss]

I tested positvie for that

i saw on GMTV a baby was completely normal and because of gbs thing it was severly disabled?
might be a scare monger thing might not
But whats £30 to get tested
I had the antibiotics in the drip thing better to be safe than sorry tbh

 

[nathanmum]

im not being tested.
i think theres alot of scaremongering in the media about this. i think the risks are too small and there are lots of companies getting very rich off scared pregnant women.
i am not in agreement with the NHS routinely tesing either.

 

[Becksss]

I dont think they do do they?

 

[nathanmum]

theres a campaign going at the moment to get free testing on the NHS thats what i meant i disagreed with.

 

[Becksss]

ohh right
i heard when the NHS do
do it they get false negatives

but i dunno what to think
but i just think better to be safe than sorry

 

[Becksss]

Why is it dangerous to babies?
GBS is completely harmless most of the time, but if it is passed from a mum to her baby (usually just before or during birth) it can occasionally cause serious problems. While rare – out of all the babies born every year in the UK (over 600,000), only about 700 will have a GBS infection – it is still the most common cause of bacterial infections, such as meningitis, septicaemia (blood poisoning) or pneumonia, in newborns. Thousands of babies are exposed to the bacteria during birth, however, so why some are more susceptible to consequent infection than others is something that’s still baffling the medical profession.




Will I automatically be tested for it?
Routine testing is not presently available on the NHS, although it is offered by some health trusts (consult with your healthcare team to see what’s available in your area). If you do have your urine tested for any reason, though (such as another infection), GBS will be tested for. The conventional tests are reliable if they show GBS, but not so reliable if the test is negative. That’s because the conventional tests can give a false negative result up to 50 per cent of the time, when they should be positive!
There is a more accurate enriched culture method (ECM) test, but this is not widely available on the NHS. It is available privately, however, and costs £32 from The Doctors Laboratory, or TDL (see below for contact details), although some health professionals may also charge you for specimen collection. It must be performed at 35-37 weeks’ gestation to best predict whether your baby is at risk for GBS at delivery.

 

[Becksss]

http://www.pregnancybabyandyou.co.uk/pa ... e_baby_bug

 

[Becksss]

http://www.tdlpathology.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=73

^^ Thats where u get tested email them for a pack

 

[Kimbo]

http://www.tdlpathology.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=73

^^ Thats where u get tested email them for a pack

thanku

 

[katee]

I know someone whose child is severely physically and mentally disabled due to strep B. I agree that there is a lot of scare-mongering and that it isn't healthy to get too worried about things. The risk does seem to be small especially if you have a straight forward labour. I will be taking this test though. I have been told previously by health professionals, before becoming pregnant, that I "might have a strep" (I suffered with some unususal bacetrial skin copmplaints, wasn't very pleasant). I don't want to take any risks.

I will be pushing to be tested on the NHS though if possible. I haven't looked into this too much but I know a friend of mine up north was able to get tested on the NHS. I am in London so I don't know if it will be possible.