GROUP B STREP AWARENESS!!!

[lauzlincs27]

hiya everyone i had 2 late misscarriages due to group b strep which took 2 post mortems to find out.Aside from the fact they dont actually test for it unless prompted to do so we are not even informed of it.I had never even heard of it and if it wasnt for the internet i wouldnt know what i know now.
i have started an e-petition on the hm governments website my cause being gbs should be tested throughout a womens pregnancy not just at the 35-37 weeks gestation.here is the link if any one would like to sign
Group b streptoccoccus should be tested through out pregnancy not just at 35-37 weeks.

Responsible department: Department of Health

I suffered 2 late misscarriages due to group b streptoccoccus. Although this is rare it happens. Women are not even told about the risks of this during pregnancy and labour and i would like to know why?. Many NHS hospitals dont even test for it when testing for infections as a, it is rare and b,it costs to much money. I am appauled that money as per is an issue over saving babies lifes when born or while inside the womb. I want the government to test for this infection throughout a womens pregnancy and for it to be made aware of to the mother, by the midwife,doctors etc. If they had tested me for group b streptoccoccus I would not of had to go through 2 late misscarriages to find out the reason why,and i wouldn't of lost my daughter at 23 weeks 5 days and my twin sons at 17 weeks. I would love to reach the 100,000 signature mark so it could at least be debated in the house of commons,not pushed aside like its not important because it is.
epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/17733

[pigletmania]

Oh no that is awful lauzlincs I totally agree, I heard about it when I was pg with my dd 5 years ago, and I am now pg 25 weeks, it is worrying. The NHS should take this more seriously and should test at regular intervals, they test for many other things

[cambridgeferret]

Definitely will sign. GBS cost me my two boys.

[myhandslooksoold]

Will sign also. My baby had a week of iv antibiotics and both of us had 7 days in hospital as I had step b in my bloodstream not diagnosed till late in labour. Wonder what our stay and treatment cost the nhs- not to mention the risk to her health?!

[AuntiePickleBottom]

sorry for your loss babies to you and cambridgeferret

I have signed

[WinterIsComing]

Signing. I had to ask the hospital what the minor infection I had been tested for by the GP was:

"Oh we haven't looked at the results - let's see. Group B strep"

"Shouldn't my care plan take this into account?"

"I'll find out"



So sorry to hear of your experiences

[iloverainbows]

Signed

[AuntiePickleBottom]

after googling the cost privatly for this test is £32 pound.

so even if the NHS don't do the test, at least the women can make an informed choice if they want the test.

[MrsMoosickle]

Done

[bringmesunshine2009]

damn right. Sorry for your loss. I tell all my preg friends to request this test. So important and am seriously pissed the NHS don't offer it.

[LikeACandleButNotQuite]

Could someone please point me in the direction of something that details the risks of Strep to an unborn baby? I tested +ve for it at booking in, which in hindsight I think is lucky as its being factored in to my labour plan.
However, I have only been able to find out the risks to baby during labour, my MW has not said that it could affect baby in the womb. WHereas before I felt OK about the diagnosis (forewarned is forearmed etc), this has worried me to hear that people have miscarried as a result of Strep.

It is awful to hear that something that can be offered cheaply (Certainly it would cost the NHS less than £32 per mother) can be overlooked. I hadn't even heard of it before my Booking In apt and as I say, was tested, dont know if it's routine in the North East?

[Starshaped]

Signed

[BerryLellow]

The last time there was a petition about this, the gist of the response was that as Group B Strep can come and go, it would not be an accurate test. I tested positive in my first pregnancy and had the IV antibiotics, negative the second time but was worried anyway in case it came back after the test.

I was unaware that it could cause problems in pregnancy, this is frightening. I think at the very least this information should be part of the booking in notes so people can make an informed decision about pushing for a test or paying for private screening.

[TheCalvert]

I had a GBS+ baby (early onset) and had a week at my local maternity hospital's pleasure as DS1 was in SCBU on IV AB's.

Have just been told that I may not be offered AB's for my labour for my third pg as it wasn't PCT policy, even with a previous GBS+ baby. Just so you all know - having a GBS positive baby means you are in the region of 90pc more likely to have another GBS baby in subsequent pregnancies. My DS2 was born perfect as I had IV AB's during labour which limits baby's risk.

Problem with GBS is that you can have false positives or negatives, which is prob why the NHS don't test, even at 37 plus weeks. I do think that awareness should be given to all pregnant ladies because it is such a nasty horrid disease and I knew nothing of it until I was discharged after DS1 was treated.

Thank God he's ok now though, life would be too quiet without him

[NotJustKangaskhan]

LikeaCandle It seems very hit and miss nationwide. Where I am, a sample is sent off at the booking in appointment, and then more samples are sent off if protein (indicating a possible infection) shows up in the urine sample at later appointments. This has changed over my four pregnancies so I thought it was rolled in nationwide because of GBS, but it seems very regional still.

[LikeACandleButNotQuite]

Looking at these instances, I feel very lucky my area tests and think EVERYWHERE should!

[unpa1dcar3r]

I am so so sorry for your losses Lauz
My 3rd child had B strep. Like you i'd never heard of it and didn't have a clue of the implications, except I had to take 12 tablets a day and everyone was panicking; one doctor actually came out to my car (I was too ill to go into surgery) and begged me to go hospital but the hospital had sent me home...Only at 7 months did i find out my son had a 1/10 chance of dying and was induced.

Then with 4th child no one even took my blood to find out if i still had it and thank God i changed hospitals and they did test for it, but the results came in as i was literally giving birth (he was also early) and it was positive so they all went rushing around like nutters, panicking again and getting a needle stuck in my arm for antibiotics...and I lost the plot then (despite being about to give birth).
Isolation, the boys having antibiotics every 2 hrs for 5 days...me in absolute bits not knowing what the hell was happening or if they would live or die.

It was shortly after that that Kevin Webster in Corrie was with a girl and they had a son who had it and died. I thought this is good, it will highlight this awful thing, but clearly not if it is still happening.

Luckily my boys were ok (although both SLD but not from that) but it's horrific to think this is not automatically done, esp after one miscarriage due to it.

[skybluepearl]

I'm sorry for your late MC.

Where we live nobody is tested for Step B. While pregnant with my son, I had a small bleed and was swabbed, then told i had strep B. As a result I had antibiotics during the labour.

The thing about Streb B is that it comes and goes, you can have it one week and not the next. It is also common in a large percentage of the female population at any one time.

You can request this test yourself while pregnant but will have to pay. Talk to your midwife about it.

[PessimisticMissPiggy]

I've signed.

I tested +ve for GBS following a Sexual Health check in my late teens. Thankfully the clinic took the time to full explain the implications of carrying this and when it came to PG in my 20's they'd done such a good job it was the first thing I said to my MW, 'hi, I've had a positive GBS result' that was flagged on my handheld notes immediately and my hospital gynae notes have a huge sticker on them. I also told every HC professional I interacted with during my PG/labour and DH agreed that if I was out of it he'd do the same. I had IV from my entry into hospital and thankfully didn't need the second dose as had a quick labour.

I tell everyone PG woman I meet socially to ask about GBS testing and tell them about about the private test.

[theoldtrout01876]

Group B strep is usually tested for 35-37 weeks because it has been shown to be the most accurate at predicting group B status at time of birth.

I work in medical lab and have read these group B tests,they are not always clear cut or easy to read. The other rectal/vaginal flora also grow on the plates with the group B and if there are not many group B colonies they can be overwhelmed and swamped by other growth.

Some group B colonies are really really tiny,so just being able to see if its beta hemolytic or not is difficult,in some colonies you actually have to scrape the colony off the media just to be able to see if its beta hemolytic. some group B just doesnt produce any beta hemolysis. It all comes down to the experience of the tech reading the plate and their ability to recognize a strep colony and follow up to determine if it is B

We now have a really good enrichment broth that actually turns bright orange if there is group B present. this enables us to report out definite positives in at little at 24 hours. If the aptly named carrot broth doesnt turn orange,we then plate those out and grow the colonies the old fashioned way

Every pregnant woman is tested here and even if your result is negative,if youve had a urinary tract infection caused by group B during your pregnancy then you are given antibiotics during your labor

My lab charges $15 for this test btw.

[PinkFondantFancy]

I've signed the petition