Group B Strep

[Valley Girl]

I watched a maternity program where they did a vaginal swab on a woman because she was uncomfortable 'down there' and it came back showing she had group B strep infection and needed antibiotics during delivery. How do we know if we have it??????????

 

[Kimbo]

i second this question cos i asked my midwife and she said they will only test if they feel theres any need to

 

[Squiglet]

Apparently pregnant women in Spain get automatically vaccinated for Strep B. or at least we are tested for it I think....

Its rare but it happens...where one in every 1000 births results in the baby contracting strep b, which can cause meningitis... Approximately a third of men and women "carry" GBS in their intestines and a quarter of women of childbearing age carry it in their vagina. Thousands of babies are exposed to the infection every year with no ill effect. Why it happens to just a few is unclear.... but if you think you are at risk... you should mention this to your GP/mw.