Group B Strep (GBS)

Have you heard of Group B Strep (GBS)?

Do you know that national guidelines from NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) and RCOG (Royal College Obstetricians & Gynaecologists) recommend that all pregnant women and people are provided with information about GBS? 

As a midwife within the NHS, I am not sure whether this happens. Community Midwives have a huge amount of information to share at appointments, and I can imagine that covering everything required is challenging in the time slots. 

At Little Seeds Classes we make sure that GBS is discussed at Week One as we explore the need-to-know facts relating to the third trimester.

So, a few facts about GBS for you! 

• GBS lives in the gut, rectum and vagina
• It is present in 1 in 4 people
• It does not cause any symptoms or illness in pregnancy
• However, 800 babies a year develop a GBS infection in the first 3 months of life (2/3 of these in the first 6 days after birth)
• 8.4% of babies who develop a GBS infection will die from sepsis, pneumonia or meningitis

I firmly believe in informed consent – having accurate, unbiased information that allows you to make a choice that is right for you and your baby.

Unfortunately, at this current time none of our local hospitals in Peterborough, Huntingdon, Kettering nor Northampton offer routine screening for GBS in late pregnancy. This should be offered;

• Using the international ‘gold standard’ of an enriched culture medium that ensures much greater accuracy in the results from swabs
• Offered at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy to ensure results are valid around the time of birth

For more information, please visit the charity Group B Strep Support at www.gbss.org.uk