HEALTH
TIME TO TALK with MARINA FOGLE & DR CHIARA HUNT
GROUP B STREP
The sisters advise on testing for the potentially harmful bacteria while pregnant t often comes as a surprise to expectant mums that the most common cause of severe newborn infections is Group B Strep (GBS), something that many have never heard of. We believe that being informed is one of the most powerful ways to protect your child.
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WHAT IS GBS?
CAN YOU TEST FOR IT? You can, but it’s not routinely tested for on the NHS, which instead treats women and babies who show symptoms with antibiotics. There’s now pressure for the NHS to change its policy, to be in line with countries such as Germany, France and Spain, which all routinely test for GBS in the weeks before labour, and treat accordingly.
HOW CAN I TEST FOR IT? Just because the NHS doesn’t cover it, that doesn’t mean it’s unavailable. The ECM test is a straightforward rectal and vaginal swab you can do at home and send to a lab to be analysed, costing around £35. The lab grows the bacteria, then give you the results in a few days. Find out more at gbss.org.uk.
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AND IF I’M GBS POSITIVE? You’ll need to share the results with the team looking after you. Not a huge amount changes in your pregnancy, but once you go into labour, you’ll be given antibiotics to protect your baby. This doesn’t prevent you from having a natural birth, but since antibiotics are given intravenously, you’ll need to be in hospital. If you’re planning a birthcentre delivery, talk to them about whether you can have antibiotics there, as this is often possible.
WHY DOESN’T EVERYONE GET TESTED? This is a contentious issue and the root of it probably lies in funding. Although the test would probably only cost the NHS £11 per person, across a population, this adds up. However, the rate of GBS is rising and there’s pressure
on the NHS to adopt a national policy of testing. Until that happens, the best thing you can do is be informed, which is why we need to talk about this. Many women on The Bump Class choose to test themselves and are grateful that they know about it.
You can hear Marina and Dr Chiara in conversation about Group B Strep on The Parent Hood Podcast, which is available to download for free on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.
ARE THERE ANY DOWNSIDES? The two biggest downsides are probably the cost and that the test isn’t the most dignified thing to do. But it’s really not bad – certainly no worse than putting in a tampon. Some women have opted not to do it because if they’re found positive, they’d be urged to give birth in a hospital rather than at home or a birth centre. This is short sighted though, as if you’re GBS positive, IV antibiotics during the birth is potentially lifesaving for your baby, which should be the priority.
PHOTOGRAPHY: HELENE SANDBERG
It’s common for women to be carrying GBS, along with a host of other bacteria, both good and bad, in their vagina and mostly, it causes no problems; in fact 10-30 per cent of pregnant women carry GBS without any symptoms. It becomes a concern if you’re carrying at the time of delivery because there’s a 50 per cent chance of transferring it to your baby. Of the babies that catch it, one to two per cent will develop a life-threatening infection like meningitis, septicaemia or pneumonia.
