Hope people don't mind, but as there are now over 200 messages on the original, I thought a new thread would be useful. Here is a link to the original for anyone who would like to read same:
Original Strep B Thread
Also, as GBSS have a new campaign they are looking for support with, I herewith copy the most recent message:
Hello everyone.
I M P O R T A N T *
Jane Plumb of GBSS is looking for as many people as possible to help with another Strep B campaign. I thought some of you on this thread may be willing to help: The details are as follows (ie copied and pasted from her email:
***
"As you may know, the Government is seeking the opinions from people around the UK about all kinds of issues, including health and where Government money should be spent.
At GBSS we believe preventing preventable cases of GBS infection should be a priority, both through implementing a screening programme for all pregnant women and through increasing the knowledge and awareness of what should/could be done both amongst health professionals and expectant parents.
The Green Top Guideline on GBS published by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) last November is an enormous advance towards greater prevention - GBSS is very supportive of this guideline (indeed, GBSS has been advocating a similar risk-based approach for over 7 years!) . When fully implemented in the UK, this guideline will prevent the majority of lethal cases of GBS infection in newborn babies. The biggest difference between GBSS?s position & RCOG?s is that RCOG does not advocate routine tests for pregnant women for GBS colonisation and we do - medical evidence shows that even more GBS infections could be prevented through adopting a screening approach to GBS prevention, using reliable test methods, rather than just a risk-based approach. However, existing swabs are unreliable in that they give a falsely negative result up to 50% of the time when the result should be positive - reliable Enriched Culture Medium (ECM) tests exist but, at present, these are only available privately (and we only know of one laboratory which offers this reliable test - contact us for more information if you need it) and are not widely publicised.
GBSS is campaigning for reliable ECM tests for the diagnosis of GBS colonisation in pregnant women to be made available on the NHS. Would you like to help move this forward? If you would, then please visit www.bigconversation.org.uk/index.php?id=682 and in the box asking for your comments, paste in the following (assuming you agree with these statements of course!):
1 . Reliable enriched culture media screening tests for GBS during pregnancy should be made available on the NHS as a matter of urgency .
2. High quality information on preventing GBS infection in newborn babies should be made routinely available to all pregnant women and their health professionals
Doing this really will make a difference. And please forward this e-mail on to any of your family, friends or contacts who you think might like to support this campaign! The more people who highlight this as an issue, the more likely and the more quickly it will be addressed.
Please help if you can. Thank you."
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Phew, sorry that was long.
Thank you for taking the trouble to read this and, if you can help, an extra special 'Big thank you' from me too.
butterfly