Hi everyone,
I wanted to share our story because, like so many parents, I had no idea about the risks of Group B Streptococcus until we found out completely by chance. GBS is a common bacteria carried by about 1 in 4 women in the UK. It is usually completely harmless to us, but during labor, it can be passed on to a newborn baby, potentially leading to severe complications like sepsis, pneumonia, or meningitis.
The reality in the UK is that 1 in 1,750 babies in the UK and Ireland develop an early-onset GBS infection. Every month, around 43 babies in the UK develop early-onset GBS.
Tragically, 2 babies die and 3 suffer life-changing disabilities every single month, even though most of these infections are preventable with simple antibiotics during labor if the mother is known to carry it.
Many other countries, such as the US, Canada, France, and Germany, routinely screen pregnant women at 35 to 37 weeks. In the UK, however, the NHS does not offer routine ECM swab testing. Most mums only find out they carry it through incidental tests or, tragically, after their baby becomes dangerously ill.
Finding out about GBS by complete chance made me realize just how much luck plays into protecting our babies, and it should not be down to chance. A simple, safe swab test late in pregnancy could save so many families from heartbreak. We are campaigning to introduce routine GBS screening for all pregnant women in the UK so that every mother is given the knowledge and care needed to protect her baby.
If you have a spare moment, please consider signing and sharing our official UK Parliament petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/768997
Thank you so much for reading and supporting.