Group B Strep - anyone got tested?

[strangerjo]

I'm weighing up whether to get tested for group b strep. My midwife said the hospital won't do it so I'm considering going privately. If anyone did get tested, did you do the self-swab thing or go to a clinic?I can only find one clinic that does it in London and they need a gp referral.
Any thoughts much appreciated!

Absolutely - the interests of the individual parent are not always the interests at a population level.

It's a similar concept to chickenpox vaccination- the uk doesn't have that because they think that infected children provide a natural booster for older people thus reducing the incidence of shingles.
I personally think they should vaccinate against chickenpox and it's very interesting that countries such as USA and Germany do so. Presumably they have access to the same data as the uk and yet have made a different call.
All interesting stuff

As above definitely not available in Scotland

My experience.

Tested 10 years ago during 1st pregnancy - not sure why, whether it was routine, or whether it was because it was a twin pregnancy and deemed higher risk, but was +ve. Had antibiotics during labour. All ok, but twins were premature so ended up in SCBU. Met another mum there who had a 9lb baby, but he'd had a fit within hours of being born due to contracting GBS from the mother (who wasn't aware that she had it).

2nd pregnancy. +ve again (paid for test) but labour was so quick they didn't have chance to hook my up to antibiotics. Baby was monitored for 24 hours. All ok.

So, there are a couple of things. Yes, it can come and go which is the reason I don't think its a routine test. If you have it, its pretty standard to be given antibiotics at birth. No big deal (in my view). Even if you have it, you may or may not pass it on to the baby - I think (iirc) that the stats say its unlikely. But if you do, without the antibiotics, it can have quite serious consequences.

But both PKU and Maple syrup disease arrested for in the heel prick test and both are far rarer than GBS infection in babies.

So I'm not sure the argument that it affects only a small percentage of babies holds water really.

Tested for, sorry

I don't think that the two tests are comparable really.

A positive tests has an impact on the whole of the intra partum care - ie cascade of intervention etc. Reduced mobility due to drip, homebirth not likely to be easily accessed - poss more need for epidural, poss more need for cs/other assisted delivery and no way to know whether or not the baby would have been affected.

Some people prefer to treat just in case
Some people feel the risks outweigh the benefits

IMHO if the NHS felt that it was of overall benefit it would be offered routinely.

This is a useful leaflet from the RCOG (UK obstetricians) explaining the issues. It isn't as simple as saying everyone should be screened, there are negatives to screening and negatives to antibiotics in labour, and they balance with the benefits to preventing babies being infected.

www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/patient-leaflets/group-b-streptococcus-gbs-infection-in-newborn-babies/

Personally I probably will seek a private test.
But I understand why the NHS isn't offering screening at present.

Screening for PKU is different as there aren't really any negatives for screening, well apart from the cost and poor baby being pricked, but the blood sample is being taken anyway for several conditions.

I was finding the midwife exams difficult during early labour with DC2, so the nhs midwife did the test for me. I hadn't heard of it at that point. I was positive, so they slowed me down with an epidural and gave me antibiotics. I was gutted as had to wait ages between doses of antibiotics and had been convinced I was going to have a quick delivery. But then I eventually had time to read about it, and was very grateful to the midwife.

That was 5 years ago nhs in England

I did the home swab - really easy and the result came through by text. Well worth it, I think, then at least you know.

Hopelessly, what are the negatives of GBS screening? None that I'm aware of. Or do you mean negatives associated with what women may opt to do with the information? Surely information cannot be seen as a negative?

I read your link but none of it seems to be new information. It all came up in my research before having the test. I also researched the pros and cons of antibiotics in labour. Despite a positive test I waited to see what happened. As it turned out, my waters broke 16hours before labour started so after 12, I went in and explained the situation saying I'd like to be put on an antibiotic drip. I was still mobile as I could walk up and down with the pump thingy.

I got tested cauaemy waters broke early,phoned me a week after DS was born say it was positive pointless

And the 3 female medics we know all had the test done.

I had this in my pregnancy and I found out by getting tested for thrush and it came back that i had GBS so they put me on anti biotics for 4 hours in labour X