University talk

Conferences

In January we spoke at the London Maternity & Midwifery Festival, where we discussed improving group B Strep prevention with Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent OBE, Chief Midwifery Officer (pictured above with Jane & Lynsey bravely

Oliver Plumb).

We had a similar discussion with Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists at Baby Lifeline’s National Maternity Safety sadly died from group

Conference.

In February, we visited the Emerald Isle to speak at the All-Ireland 2020 Maternity & Midwifery Festival in Dublin. The team had lots of interesting conversations with midwives, health-care professionals and

University talk

Lynsey White joined us for a half day training session with 3rd year midwifery students at Middlesex University. It was a lively session, with lots of great questions.

The highlight was sharing her personal experience of group B Strep.

Her first baby, Frankie, students.

B Strep infection, at only 4 days old.

Middlesex have invited us back next year.

GBSS online shop

When you buy items in our shop, you are making a vital contribution to our work to help save babies’ lives. All proceeds go directly to Group B Strep Support.

GBSS logo pin badge £2.50 Baby Loss Awareness pin badge £2.00 Theo Bear Soft toy £10 GBSS Car sticker £1.50 White 100% cotton T-shirts Child £8.00 Adult £10.00

Why I volunteer

Alison Stanley, volunteer

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m a final year student midwife, with a background in academic public health and health systems audit.

What motivated you to become a volunteer for GBSS?

When I was looking for a change of career into midwifery it was important for me to get some experience within neonatal and maternal health and to understand some of the current issues in maternity. Dr Carol J Baker is widely recognised as “the Godmother of group B Streptococcus prevention.” Her ground-breaking research led to the USA and many European countries to test routinely for group B Strep in pregnancy, and use antibiotics in labour to protect babies from GBS infection. Dr Baker’s research is still key today, as it is accelerating progress towards a much-needed GBS vaccine. Carol says: “ I was curious and dismayed that, while in paediatric

What would you say to someone who was thinking about volunteering for GBSS?

Go for it! Such a friendly and supportive charity. Lots of opportunities for people with all backgrounds.

What has been your greatest achievement volunteering for GBSS?

I’ve done lots of things but my favourite is helping out on London Marathon day each year – so great to cheer our inspirational runners on. A really fun day out too. training, my patients (neonates and several week old infants) began dying from a different bacterium than the one my professors said caused most infections in babies. I had many questions and when they were left unanswered, I began researching textbooks and articles, but only to be told that GBS was a disease of dairy cattle with only a few reports of human infection. So I decided to pursue infectious disease training in 1971, began to collect and summarize my cases, storing GBS isolated from patients’ blood and spinal fluid in my

What’s the best thing about volunteering at GBSS?

I love the work that I do for the charity, can do it flexibly to fit in with my other commitments. It’s so important that women and their families can make informed choices about group B Strep. I’ve been involved in cake sales, fun days, data analysis, public speaking and work on clinical

A word from Dr Carol J Baker

trials as a lay representative.

apartment, and wrote to the “inventor” of GBS, Professor Rebecca Lancefield, who invited me to Rockefeller University in New York, thus launching my research career.

What I have wanted to see for decades remains my desire - a GBS vaccine licensed for use in pregnant women worldwide.”