question about group B Strep

[throckenholt]

I have 2 friends who have recently given birth - both went into spontaneous labour at 37 weeks. Neither had been previuosly diagnosed with group B strep. Both had trouble free pregnancies, both babies now fine.

1. had a natural birth, baby and mother fine. After about 2 hours baby started grunting, and things rapidly deteriorated - airlifted to Great Ormand Street, on oxygen for a few days. Diagnosed with group B strep.

2. had c-section (because of previous trauma to uterus). Baby grunting, treated with antibiotics for "infection" - was told not group B strep because she had a c-section - no chance to infect.

I read up about it after the first friend had her baby and found a suggestion that babies can get it inside the womb and it is thought to be a possible cause from premature labour. Is this the case ? Did they both have group B strep and was that what caused the early births ?

Hi Throckenholt,

I believe that on rate occasions GBS can be transmitted before birth,but that normally the amniotic fluid protects the baby.Once the waters have gone,that is when infection can set in.As far as I know,c-sections don't prevent infection either.

I'd be interested to see if anyone has any ideas about this,.as I was diagnosed as GBS+ & had dd2 at 38.6 wks.Luckily she showed no signs of infection & was fine.

I was just intrigued by the similarity of their experience - the first one - her water broke and followed the "normal" pattern for group B strep, but the second one, her water didn't break and she had a c-section - yet both babies had the same symptoms (although one struggled much more than the other).

And both at 37 weeks, after previuos full term births.

bump. Anyone else got any comments ?

I was found to be GBS + with ds (2nd child) - his waters stayed intact till 10 mins before he was born and he was fine (had antibios in labour too). Often wonder if I carried it with dd (who was 35+5 for no apparent reason). Though she didn't contract it, wonder if it somehow caused early labour. Glad it worked out OK for your friends.

How do you know if you have strep B? As far as i am aware the test is not given automatically. I'm concerned there may be a risk to my child during labour. Any advice most welcome.

I found out i've got group B strep from a swab taken by my GP as i'd gone to have a routine check-up and i'd mentioned about increased discharge (sorry if TMI!) - my GP at the time said she was certain it would turn out to be nothing, but obviuosly not! Now i'm on antibiotics, and i've been warned that i'll need to be re-swabbed pre-labour and i'll need iv antibiotics during. A bit worrying, but at least i know pre, rather than having a poorly newborn.If in doubt, ask your GP to swab you, as they don't offer the test routinely on the NHS (madness, given the problems it can cause) (incidentally i'm nearly 23 weeks)Hope this helps xx

Thanks for letting me know nervousmomtobe! It's surprising they don't mention it more. Also, not to be grim, but you get increased discharge anyway with pregnancy, so unless you're fully tuned in - not sure you would know - or would you? Many thanks anyway. Got a GP appointment tomorrow so will muster up the courage to ask then.

Spikemomma, I had recurrent thrush throughout pg, so mw did swab just to be on safe side. Thank goodness. if you go on the grp b strep support site, there is a link to a test you can order for your mw to do (it's MUCH more reliable than the NHS one, which gives many false negs). think it is www.gbss.org.uk

think they are reluctant to introduce test as routine as so many people carry it and it would mean using antibios so often.... but the gbss is campaigning for routine testing, I think.

If you do test positive for strep B, don't worry about it too much because about 1 in 4 adults in the UK is carrying it. It's very common among adults but only 100 babies in the UK per year die of it - I know still tragic, but statistically that's very low.

I was only tested because my local hospital was doing a research project which I volunteered to take part in. Because I tested positive they put me on an IV for antibiotics during labour, otherwise they'd have had to give the baby antibiotics after the birth, which I didn't want. I was quite stressed out about the prospect of the IV beforehand, but in fact during the birth that was the least of my worries!

I also has group B strep and i was frightened

purely because there aint much info about it is there,

I also was covered in antib's for the delivery, I had emergency section for the second time too boys were given antibs too

i didnt know i had group b strep til after dd was born. i went into labour a month early, and had a swab taken when i was examined to see if my waters had broken. the results didnt come through that i had it til after i had given birth. had a natural birth and dd was fine.