group b strep

[TheHun]

I've had a test done privately an it's positive. Hospital policy is to give antibiotics to me intraveniously as soon as I go into labour. For drugs to cross placenta and reach baby the treatment must be for 4 hours. With dd1 I was in labour for 4 hours from start to finish, if this baby is quicker and the drugs not given enough time the baby will be given antibiotics after delivery. Now I'm worried in case the baby has a reaction to antibiotics. Any one had any experience of this?

A friend of mine tested positive to group b strep and had two v.quick births. so her dds were given antibiotics after delivery. they were fine, no reactions. My dd had a temperature when 3 days old and was given antibiotics for two days, she was just very sleepy, I don't know if it was from the antibiotic or because she was unwell. Where did you get your test done?

I was in this position very recently - tested positive for strep B, labour was very quick (1 hour 50 mins) so no time for antibiotics. Dd was given them post birth and was fine, test came back negative. Could you speak to your midwife about your concerns? I was very worried when my test came back positive and immediately called my midwife, she explained everything and reassured me. Good luck.

I had strep b in my pregnancy and had to have antibiotics while in labour. I was induced with a drip as my waters broke and they wouldn't wait the normal 48 hours for labour to start. They said the risk of infection was higher if you are strep B so wanted to induce straight away. My doula and I convinced them to wait 12 hours but my labour didn't start so I was induced anyway.

They said I would need at least 3 sets of antibiotics antibiotics but my labour lasted 8 hours and they only had time to give me 2 lots (or was it 4 and 3 I forget).

Anyway they did give ds antibiotics after the birth but that was because he had some problems breathing at first (only a minute or so) and was grunting so they made the assumption that he may have contracted the strep b from me.

He was fine within an hour but they did give him 6 hourly antibiotics intravenously as a precaution until the results of his strep b test came back. The strep b test was negative but it took a few days to come back so in the meantime we were in hospital for 5 days while he had the unecessary antibiotics .

They said they would not have given him the antibiotics if he had been fine after the birth. I think you should ask a midwife what the hospital policy is on strep b as this does vary quite a bit across the country.

The fact that I had strep b can out by accident as I had recurrent thrush so they did a test for general bacteria/fungus etc and the strep b showed up then. Quite a lot of women (is it about 30% of women?) are strep b positive in this country but we don't screen in pregnancy in the UK so the way it is handled is a bit of a lottery.

The fact is though that the vast majority of women with strep b have babies with no problems at all. In my case knowing I had strep b resulted in an early induction and 5 unecessary days in hospital so in a lot of ways it would have been better for me not to know.

The great thing is that you know. So many women don't as there isn't a routine test. Dd had antibiotics as a tiny baby and was fine (bit of diarrhoea though, Yuk!). I also was a bit freaked out when I was told (I was being tested for something else when it was picked up) but I too had a wonderful midwife and GP who reassured me about everything. I did have a bit of a scare with a locum midwife though who read it in my notes and went a bit overboard with warning stickers and scary literature, and I had to see the GP again to get it back in perspective. Now they know about it, they can do something about it.

franca70, I had the test done through 'the doctors laboratory' whose adress I got through the group b strep charity. The swabs were taken and sent in post then results came back in a couple of days. Thanks everyone else for your comments, just hope it doesn't get too complicated like it did for you lazycow.

Thanks The Hun, wish you all the best for your birth.
It's weird though that women aren't routinely tested for group b strep here in england as testing is a WHO directive...

Vote David Cameron then! He's the one pushing through routine (reliable) testing on the NHS.

Glad you are using the private test - I was the person who suggested to group b strep support that we should introduce it here in the UK - albeit privately.

If you care about it, please join the Group B Strep Support charity - it's around £20 a year.

In terms of Hospital Policy - there are some NICE guidelines that all should use but, having atttended at a committee meeting that involved all areas of maternity care (GPs through to SHOs), we know this is not the case and GBS policies and procedures vary from hospital to hospital.

Personally, having met many Mums whose babies have died or been seriously disabled by GBS, I would have the antibiotics as, if there is an anaphylatic reaction at least you're in the right place for immediate treatment. Whilst there is no current research projects on anaphylatic reaction to antibiotics, I did read somewhere that 1 GP will see such a case every 10 years, albeit based on very old data.

This is what makes me so annoyed with the government, in rejecting the routine testing, they are using anaphylatic reaction as an excuse yet they have no hard evidence from current research to support this. ARGHH

The even said that they have compared neo-natal death rates of USA which has routine GBS testing with the UK and the rates are the same. When we asked if this was neo-natal death rates from GBS they said no - it's just the total.

Thanks Mrsrecycle. I wasn't even aware of group b strep when I had dd1 3 years ago and fortunatley there were no problems. When I first asked my midwife about it with regards to current pregnancy she said not to worry and that it was unecessary to be tested and many consultants wouldn't give antibiotics routinley if you were positive anyway. I just feel the more informed and prepared you are about you and your pregnancy the better. I think I was getting a bit worried about babies reaction to antibiotics as it was referenced in some of the research I've done and dd1 had intolerance to cows milk protein and is allergic to peanuts, bit conscious of serious reactions. dd ok with penicillin though which is what I think they use and as you say, a reaction can be dealt with in hospital, ( I hope)

Thanks Mrs Recycle, I look at their website and actually I think I'll make a donation. I was so worried when my dd was admitted to hospital with temperature at 3 days old and v. upset that I had't been tested for group b strep. (I was tested during my first pregnancy with ds in Italy). If at least I had known that I wasn't positive I wouldn't have been so scared for her. And guess what was the first question the paediatrician asked me when I took her to hospital? Are you positive to group b strep? I said I don't know this time i wasn't tested....