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Group B Strep (GBS)
Hi Girls,
I don't know if you've read about this in your Pregnancy mags or have any previous experience of it, but apparently GBS is the most common life-threatening infection in newborns. It's caused by a harmless bacteria that many women carry but if you happen to be carrying it when you go into labour you can pass it on to your baby.
I'm not posting this to frighten any of you (we have enough to worry about!) just wanted to share what I'd read - there were a few heartbreaking stories all of which were avoidable if diagnosed before labour began. It's eaily diagnosed & also easily treated but the NHS don't currently offer the testing as standard.
There are private companies that offer the test for around ??30 and your midwife can carry this out for you (2 swabs) at between 35-37 weeks. You get the results in a matter of days and then if they're positive your hospital will make sure you're given antibiotics when labour starts to prevent infection.
Here's a few websites you might want to check out -
http://www.gbss.org.uk/
-GBS Support Campaign
http://www.mullhaven.co.uk/gbs.htm
-Private Screening Company
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/groupbstrep/
- and a petition to get these tests free of charge & routinely offered by the NHS
I've printed off the details from the private Testing company website & I'm going to take them to my next MW appt at 28wks. The peace of mind seems well worth it for ??30!
xx
I don't know if you've read about this in your Pregnancy mags or have any previous experience of it, but apparently GBS is the most common life-threatening infection in newborns. It's caused by a harmless bacteria that many women carry but if you happen to be carrying it when you go into labour you can pass it on to your baby.
I'm not posting this to frighten any of you (we have enough to worry about!) just wanted to share what I'd read - there were a few heartbreaking stories all of which were avoidable if diagnosed before labour began. It's eaily diagnosed & also easily treated but the NHS don't currently offer the testing as standard.
There are private companies that offer the test for around ??30 and your midwife can carry this out for you (2 swabs) at between 35-37 weeks. You get the results in a matter of days and then if they're positive your hospital will make sure you're given antibiotics when labour starts to prevent infection.
Here's a few websites you might want to check out -
http://www.gbss.org.uk/
-GBS Support Campaign
http://www.mullhaven.co.uk/gbs.htm
-Private Screening Company
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/groupbstrep/
- and a petition to get these tests free of charge & routinely offered by the NHS
I've printed off the details from the private Testing company website & I'm going to take them to my next MW appt at 28wks. The peace of mind seems well worth it for ??30!
xx
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Replies
I must be in an area that does the testing for free as I didnt even know that i was being tested and have never heard of paying ??30 for the test before!
I reckon ask your midwife if they are able to do the test, if not I would not mind paying ??30 to make sure that my baby would be fine!
Good Luck to everyone, and hope everything works out for the best!
I had a urine infection and when they sent the sample off to the lab to be grown to make sure I was on the right antibiotics this also grew.
What really annoys me though is what seems to be the very apathetic attitude of the NHS & it's midwives towards this - if the test & treatment is so cheap and easy why on earth is it not offered as standard??? :x
xx
My 2nd baby was born at 36+4 weeks after my waters broke early and i had a raised temp, they gave me IV antibiotics just in case of infection and all was fine in the end.
It seems that here GBS is treated as any other possible complication of pregnancy, just like pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes etc.
Good luck girls, Shell. (35 weeks)
[Modified by: Shell311 on November 03, 2007 08:32 AM]