Strep B

[MaggieW]

I carry strep b and am pregnant. Dr's are all saying I'll need to be on a intravenous drip for antibiotics as soon as I go into labour. While I don't want to jeopardise or risk my baby, has anyone had any experience where they've worked around it another way please? I also want ot know if an intrav will slow down labour as had very quick one last time and would like a repeat performance! Thanks.

Thanks Butterflymum, you are a true angel...It's really nice to know that there are so many people trying to raise awareness of GBS..it certainly gives me a boost!! Please let us know how you get on...
Drib xx

We had a thread on difference of care in different countries, in Belgium I think women are routinely screend for Strep B and toxoplasmosis.... the reason it is not sone in this country as I understand it is that you can be told you are OK and still have Strep B the next day. So a negative result does not mean you won't have it.

It would be really interesting to know what other European countries do regarding GBS. I didn't know Belgian women were screened for GBS ... I wonder what other countries do?

Are there any continental Europeans out there who can tell us what their country does about GBS? I haven't written to my MP yet, but am imagining a sentence along the lines of "Why is the UK lagging behind its European neighbours in GBS prevention?" but would rather like to be sure of what I'm saying first!

While GBS can come & go, I understand the reason for doing the reliable test at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy is that it is then a very good predictor of your GBS status at delivery - I'm sure I've seen something that said around 95% accurate. Which is a darn sight better than what we have now!

I think the reason the UK doesn't test for GBS is because it would cost money - money for the tests themselves, plus training health professionals plus education of pregnant women about GBS. But reliable tests would also save money - money spent on sick babies in SCBUs, on ongoing medical treatment for babies with long-term problems, counselling bereaved parents, etc. Not to mention the emotional cost ... but then that doesn't have a £ sign on it!

Please forgive the rant, but - as you can tell - it makes me mad!!!

Drib

I have posted on a few more sites to help raise awareness and found another link that might be helpful for people:

www.testinpregnancy4gbs.co.uk

have you seen this one - what do you think of it??

For those of you who may have missed it, I have come across an earlier thread entitled 'Group B Strep infection in babies'.

The stories there can only add to this issue and help stress the urgency of something needing done about it.

We saw the fetrtility consultant today and one of the concerns I mentioned was Strep B. I wasnt aware that it always comes back to those who have been carriers even if they have had antibiotics. In other words, I will never be free of this bug and all subsequent pregnancies are at risk. On a positive note, my consultant did say that medical awareness was on the increase and intravenous antibiotics in labour becoming more common in StrepB mums.

Just checked the EDM - signatures now stand at 86!

Excellent. Well done to those who have lobbyed their MP so far.

Any more out their willing to lobby theirs?

........

Drib - much sympathy. Something definately needs to change on this.

bunny2 - best of luck!

JaneEliz (and anyone else who's interested) - When I had dd in Spain the hospital gave me a test for GBS (don't know which kind I'm afraid) and a leaflet which explained that they were trying to cut neonatal deaths from GBS to nil (so I guess the good test). The test came up positive, so they pumped me full of antibiotics during labour (no antibis for dd).

The only thing is, the Spanish health system is fragmented and semi-private. The leaflet came from the hospital I was going to give birth in, not the health authority. This baby will be born in another hospital and I just hope that the policy is the same there (doctors here are not very flexible).

I'll check my old UK MP (still technically my MP) is on that list later.

I've just looked at EDM, signatures now at 97. I am about to email my MP to say thank you for signing. I found out I am GBS carrier when ds was a day old and was never told how serious it is. Thankfully he is ok.
Love and hugs to all those affected by GBS.
Snowbird xxx

Thanks to snowbird and Lucy123.

Great news about the signatures.

Keep up the good work everyone.

........

Perhaps levels of awareness will be raised after this Lancet report.

Item on GBS on Radio 4 Monday this week, I think Woman's Hour. If you visit BBC website you can listen again to any programme or phone their helpline 0800 044 044 (I think).

There was a programme on DIscovery Health about Strep B too today... It seems like the US routinely test at 35 to 37 weeks, and the 1 in every 200 women who is affected will pass it on to the bany. And I think theu daid 1 in 5 ???? was affected???

Yeah pupuce, you watch Birth Day too!!! Thats what they said wasn't it, 1 in 5 have it and of those, without treatment 1 in 200 pass it to their babies. I still can't belive there is no routine testing here, or even general awareness when you here things like that, especially when you think that you are LESS likely to have a baby with Downs Syndrome and that is probably over tested for.

Pie- I thought you were in a TV-less bedroom.... bed bound

ahh...pupuce I have been busted. Yes sometimes I risk the soft squish too low sofa just to get my TV fix, oh an mumsnet of course.

Do you know what really annoys me... when I hear these 'Health professionals' saying that it isnt cost effective to screen pregnant women for GBS because ONLY 100 babies die of this infection. I would love to meet these people and for them to step into my shoes for just one minute to feel how sad me and my Husband are after loosing our little boy 3 months ago to GBS...I would then love them to turn round and tell me it isnt 'cost effective'

Butterflymum, the signatures for the EDM now stand at 109!!
How did you get on with your letter to Tony
Blair?? Any Luck???
xxxx

Brilliant news about signatures. I believe GBSS group have managed to interest a number of newspapers to carry articles about the new reliable testing that is available for the condition as well - today's papers The Mirror, the Sun and the Mail - keep your eyes peeled for them everyone!

Re Tony. No reply, yet! I understand that because he is PM, he is not able to sign EDM's - can anyone clarify this (if he can't, what do his constituents do if they want to support an important issue?)?

Butterflymum,

There was an item on BBC South Today yesterday evening about GBS. And I checked with GBSS, apparently government ministers aren't allowed to sign EDMs (sounds daft to me), but their constituents can and should still write to them because, being government ministers, they can sometimes get things done more quickly than those MPs who aren't government ministers.

And it's up to 118 MPs signed today - I'm pleased to say mine has, so I'll be writing to him to say thank you ... and can he now ask a parliamentary question about why we haven't got screening in the UK. It's worth a try!

That's good news about another increase in the EDM signatures JaneEliz, thanks.

I saw an article in the online Sun newspaper

www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003261733,,00.html

It is not great (in my opinion), but at least it does help raise awareness. Pity they did not include a web address for GBSS.

Good luck wit your MP re the asking of a parliamentary qestion.

...........

oops, sorry, spot the mistakes......should read

'with' and 'question'

I was appauled to hear my sisters midwife had never even heard of gbs, what hope do mums to be who have not had experiance of this infection actually have of receiveing the right information about such infections ,if the so called professionals dont know anything.

Ariel, mums do have hope if all those who are already working hard at raising awareness keep up the good work and spread the necessary information as far afield as possible.

Things are already happening and I think the fact that the EDM now has 132 MP signatures means 'mums power' is having an effect.

Hopefully the EDM will lead on to bigger and better things - hopefully the government will act on the issue - hopefully midwifes will be given more education on the subject (and doctors and other medical staff).

Why not help your sister's midwife by getting her some posters and leaflets from the group B strep support group - then she will have better knowledge for other mums who ask?

Butterflymum, I absolutely agree with you that mum-power can be immensely effective. If each one of us educates our own GP practice, our midwife, our obstetrician and our health visitor plus our pregnant friends, then that's increased understanding and knowledge about GBS that they'll have and, hopefully, pass on to others. Who knows, maybe one GBS infection will be prevented as a result - and that's got to be good for not only that baby, but his/her parents too! GBSS (www.gbss.org.uk) provided me with loads of leaflets and posters to give to my health professionals (some duck when they see me!), and everytime I visit my GP I make sure the poster is up on the wall and the leaflets are in the waiting room. It's something I CAN do - and just maybe this grass-roots up approach will help influence UK policy eventually.

I'll get off my soap box now but, as you can tell, it's something I feel really passionate about!