Group B Strep
What Is Group B Strep?
Group B is a bacteria that lives harmlessly in your body, roughly a third of women are carriers. Unfortunately in newborns it can cause infection which can cause problems in the lungs and brain, pneumonia, and blood poisoning. It affects up to 700 babies a year.
How Do I Know if I Have It?
Unfortunately a lot of the time you will not show any symptoms. You can however be tested to see whether you have it. You can either have a vaginal swab which is available on the NHS, which sometimes is not too accurate. Alternatively you can go for an enrichment culture test which is more accurate but not available on the NHS.
What Happens If I Do Have Group B Strep?
If you do have a positive result you will need to be given intravenous antibiotics during labour. Almost 230,000 babies are born healthy to Group B strep carriers.
How Will I Know If My Baby Is Affected By Group B Strep?
Symptoms normally show at birth although some babies might show symptoms within 48 hours to one month.
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