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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Anyone Been Tested For GROUP B STREP!!!!!!

29 replies

Hillary · 20/06/2006 20:13

I was just wondering if anybody out there had been tested for Group B Strep!?

When I had my first baby i went into labour early so they took a routine swab and found I had group B strep, routinely hospitals don't test for this. I'v just had my second child by C Section as i had a 3 degree tear last time. I requested that i had antibiotics as you have to have them via a drip 3 hours before you have baby so it can cross placenta and protect baby, they wouldn't give me any as i was having a c section and baby wouldn't be coming out the birth canal so they said there was no risk!!!

There was my baby spent 5 weeks on life support, she was given a 5% chance of survival, her lungs collapsed and she developed Septaicemia, she showed all signs of a Group B Strep infection. We had her Baptized in hospital, she slowly recovered and is now home safe........if only I'd been given those antibiotics........

I recently spoke to somebody who also had a C Section and their baby too developed breating difficulties and who was refused antibiotics as there was seen so be no risk, she had Group B Strep - her baby died!

OP posts:
SenoraPostrophe · 20/06/2006 20:18

I was tested in 1st preg and also positive, but neither baby has had it (and I didn't have the anti-bis for the second one either as was too late)

It does sound odd that your child developed it when born by c-section. There are a couple of posters on here who know a lot more about it than me though - I'm sure they'll be along soon.

Stefallie · 03/08/2006 15:10

Hillary

I live in australia and at 36 weeks gestation all mums here get tested for Group B Strep. It should be compulsory in uk as well.

TuttiFrutti · 03/08/2006 20:17

I agree Stefallie, it should be compulsory to test for it in UK. I only got tested last time because I agreed to take part in a hospital trial, and I was positive. I was given the antibiotics on a drip in labour, and my baby didn't have it, but it makes you wonder what if I hadn't taken part in that trial and the baby had had it.

Axolotl · 03/08/2006 20:27

Hillary
I can recommend this organisation
www.gbss.org.uk/ (so sorry - too dense to do the link properly!)for anyone interested in this.
I discovered I was positive by chance, but made sure it was all over my notes and also told them when I came in that I had to be put onto IV antibiotics.
I also agree that it should be compulsory here. I'm so glad for you that your little one is OK.

SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 20:32

but should it be compulsory though?

being positive has really made me worry, but now I read I only have a very small chance of passing it on and even then only in certain circumstances. Just been reading a book which suggests that giving iv antibiotics to all women who test positive is a waste of time.

magnolia1 · 03/08/2006 20:56

Why on earth is it a waste of time if it can possibly stop babies having it passed to them???

I am going to insist on testing this time, I have had all preemie births and with dd4 she had strep B in her belly button, stopped brathing and nearly died But still they won't routinely test me in this pregnancy!!

Elibean · 03/08/2006 21:04

I was tested last time, but only because I asked to be. I will again.

alexsmum · 03/08/2006 21:08

i tested positive in 1st preg-was swabbed because of a bleed at 32 weeks. didn't have anti-biotics and my baby was fine. was tested again in 2nd preg, was positive, had anti-biotics and baby was fine.
just a positive test in the mother shouldn't be reason to have anti-biotics.i know that probably sounds awful to people whose babies have been ill, but i believe it to be true.Other factors should be taken into account like when the waters break etc. my waters didn't break until i was pushing the baby out both times so less risk.
IV anti-biotics caused horrendous problems with b/fing with my 2nd birth which led to post natal depression.i don't think it should be a blanket rule that everyone who tests positive should be given anti-biotics and i think i'm right when i say the gbs support web site takes the same view.

SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 21:43

magnolia - according to this book it's a waste of time because some babies can become infected anyway (presumably those whose mothers' vaginas start to contain the bacteria between testing and birth). She (Ina May somebody) says it's better to give the antibiotics to women whose waters rupture a long time before birth (or something - don't have book handy) as that would save more babies and mean less use of antibiotics. I don't know. But I do know that if I had read this book before I'd have worried a lot less when preg with dd.

SenoraPostrophe · 03/08/2006 21:46

alexsmum - I didn't read your post before posting. you poor thing. I must read up on it some more (waiting for swab results this week as it happens as the test is routine in spain. as is every other fippin thing you can imagine including epesiotomy, drip during labout - with or without antibiotics - stirrups etc).

Rosieglow · 03/08/2006 21:47

I asked to take part in a hospital trial in my second pregnancy & tested positive. But nobody told me the result until after I'd given birth! (Had v. quick labour so midwife didn't have time to look at my notes). So no time for IV antibiotics and because it was so quick they didn't give any to DD either.

DD was fine but while stuck in hospital under observation & wandering the wards with crying baby in the early hours (as you do...) I found a leaflet from the GBSS which detailed all possible complications and scared the daylights out of me.

If routine testing was used I think people would just know more about the whole issue, not just the complications but also how prevalent it is etc. And could find out it before the birth.

Charlee · 03/08/2006 21:47

Hi Hillary, what a shocking post! Im group B strep and only found out in my first pregnancy becuase i had an infection and they took some swabs, if i hadnt had them i wouldnt have known as they dont routinley check in our hospital, which i think is terrible as it can obviously be very dangerous. I had antibiotics via a drip during labour for it.

Its one of the first things i did was to write in my notes in big letters KNOWN TO BE GROUP B STREP and got my midwife to check and sign it so all hospital staff are well aware.

Im glad your little one recovered, really sad about the other persons baby.

alexsmum · 03/08/2006 21:59

sp-got really bad thrush in my breasts and had 5 bouts of mastitis which i'm sure were connected.

i would advise anybody to look at the gbs website.
they recommend anti biotics if one or more of a number of risks are present such as premature rupture of membranes, prolonged rupture of membranes, high temp in mother, etc etc.just testing positive alone isn't a high risk iyswim.and they actually state that having anti-biotics in a non high risk situation can lead to complications in what could be a normal birth. wish i'd known more about this when having ds2.

emzickle · 04/08/2006 14:50

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

liquidclocks · 04/08/2006 15:08

Hillary - the gbss website has some really useful information about group b strep and c-sections - you BOTH should have been given penicillin because baby can end up like yours did but also group b strep can infect your uterus. I think you really need to write to the hospital teling them how unhappy you are about the advice you received and cite the literature from the support group - it might help another woman and her baby in future.

I personally think everyone should be tested now the new test is 95% accurate, that way we will have the choice about whether to have the IV antibiotics or not. The NHS is supposed to be about informed consent, not forcing treatment on you. But in order to make the decision you need to know the information.

I'm personally very angry about the group b strep thing, I only found out I was positive after having a prem labour scare and previously I'd not heard of it. It's something that if you know you have, it's really easy to treat and the risks of complications if you don't get treated are on a parr with spina bifida/downs etc - yet the test is much easier and cheaper but not funded???

I will be having the IV personally, a FF healthy baby is better than a BF baby with a preventable disability or worse.

I'm very pleased you and your baby are OK Hillary, it makes me so mad that there are cases like yours out there still and yet nothing seems to be being done.

Stefallie · 04/08/2006 15:11

emzickle

the midwife should respect your wishes in that if you want the test then you should have it. I know that it is compulsory at 36 weeks (when I say compulsory I'm not sure if they ask you and you have to say yes - can't remember soz) but if so then most people would say yes surely, I did. But surely if you do test positive then you can make the right descision for you and your baby - whether it be antibiotics etc.

liquidclocks · 04/08/2006 15:13

emzickle - being really near the end of your pg now you are running out of time a bit but I understand your concern, especially given that you know someone who has lost a baby. The liklihood is that you and baby will be totally fine. If you do want to get tested though there is a private company who'll do it for you or you could go directly to your GP and explain why you're concerned.

more info here on gbss site

belgo · 09/08/2006 12:24

Swabbing for GBS is routine during pregnancy in Belgium, and I was found to have it in my second pregnancy. I was still able to give birth to my baby at home, the midwives gave me the IV antibiotics during labour, my waters didn't break until the last push and my baby was born underwater. A very safe, natural birth despite GBS.

jabberwocky · 09/08/2006 12:26

It is standard here in the US. There was a thread on this recently and I was quite shocked to learn that it is not standard in the UK. It's such a simple test I'm so glad you're baby is better. It's very, very upsetting to know that babies are still at risk for this.

buzzybeem · 09/08/2006 22:09

Jabberwocky,

Group B Strep infection rates are much much lower in the UK, which is one reason its not routinely tested for here.

Megan

Uwila · 09/08/2006 22:41

It's crap that no one informs us of the risks here. You need mumsnetter MrsRecycle for this conversation. But I thin k she is currently away from the computer as she has just started maternity leave for number 3. She is due to have a section in a couple of weeks.

There is a private test. She can tell you about it. The NHS won't.

binkacat · 11/08/2006 11:40

The problem with Group B strep is that you can have it one week and not the next. So testing for it at 38 weeks would be of no benefit. People who test positive may well not have it by the time they're in labour. People who test negative may have it later on. So NICE guidelines state to test for it when there is a prolonged rupture of membranes, or if mum is showing signs of an ifection.

Uwila · 11/08/2006 11:47

But the test the NHs uses is only 50% accurate. There is another test which is much more accurate, but theNHS won't tell you about it.

There must be other people onhere who know more about it than I do... Here's hoping someone comes along.

Carpo · 11/08/2006 14:57

I can't say I know more about it than other posters but can add my own experience.

Someone suggested to me that I be tested for it (it wasn't a test that was offered as standard) so I was and proved to be positive. This was at about 36 or 37 weeks. However, the baby-friendly, midwife-led maternity unit at my local cottage hospital explained that it didn't necessarily mean that I would be positive when I went into labour and gave me the choice of having the baby there or going to the big hospital in the area for IV anti-biotics. They said that the baby would be very carefully observed for ANY infection in any case and transferred and treated accordingly.

I gave it a lot of thought but ended up having a lovely birth at 39/40 weekds in the local hospital with, fortunately, no complications or infection resulting.

The logic of the midwives at this unit seems to be that the test isn't infallible because of the transient nature of strep b indicators; even being positive doesn't necessarily mean it will be passed onto the baby; ANY infection can and will be treated appropriately, and therefore why hook a labouring woman up to an IV (and limit her mobility at a time when it's so important) and pump her and her newborn baby full of strong anti-biotics when it might not even be necessary?

Like so many things in medicine, I think the level of care, and therefore risk, depends entirely upon the hospital and staff one has access to.

legophobe · 11/08/2006 15:04

A paediatrician told me to have the test when I was pg with ds1. Ds2 was hospitalized with unexplained fever at 4 weeks and the first thing they asked me at A&E was whether I'd been tested for strep before the birth. It clearly is recognised as important by the paeds if not by the obstretric crowd.

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