Group B Strep Awareness Week.
Group B Streptococcus (Group B Strep, Strep B, Beta Strep, or GBS) is a type of bacteria which lives in the intestines, rectum and vagina of around 2-4 in every 10 women in the UK (20-40%). This is often referred to as ‘carrying’ or being ‘colonised with’ GBS.
Group B Strep is not a sexually transmitted disease. Most women carrying GBS will have no symptoms. Carrying GBS is not harmful to the carrier, but it can affect your baby around the time of birth.
If you’re carrying group B Strep bacteria around the time you give birth, there’s about a 50/50 chance your baby will be exposed to the bacteria. Most babies will be fine, but about 1-2% of these babies will fall seriously ill with sepsis, meningitis or pneumonia.
However, if you know you’re carrying group B Strep late in pregnancy, you can have simple, safe and effective antibiotics in labour. These antibiotics, given intravenously (through a vein) from the start of labour, can reduce the chance of your newborn baby developing group B Strep by about 80-90%.
If you carry group B Strep and DON’T have the intravenous antibiotics in labour, the chance of your newborn baby developing a group B Strep infection is about 1 in 400 (0.25%).
If you carry group B Strep and DO have the intravenous antibiotics in labour, the chance of your newborn baby developing a group B Strep infection is about 1 in 4000 (0.025%).
Most infections are preventable – but many parents are never told. And in the UK, routine testing is still not offered during pregnancy.
Carrying group B Strep has no symptoms, so testing is the only way to find out if you are carrying the bacteria. A group B Strep test is simple, safe and effective. Read more on private home tests at: Ordering a Private Group B Strep (GBS) Test - Group B Strep Support
Information & Support - Group B Strep Support
