What is Group Strep B?
Group B Strep is a common bacterium. It can be found in the gut and vagina, but is not a sexually transmitted disease and rarely causes any problems.
About 20 percent of women carry these bacteria during their pregnancy. During delivery, it is not unusual for the bacteria to be transferred to your baby. About two babies a day will, however, develop an infection that may mean that the baby needs special attention and antibiotics very quickly. Unfortunately, on average one baby a week will die because of this infection and another baby may survive, but suffer long-term disabilities.
Why should I get a Group Strep B test?
Women should be swabbed at about 35 weeks, and the swab sent away for culture. It requires a special enriched culture medium to grow the bacteria, and many NHS laboratories do not offer this. If the Group B Strep bacteria are present, then you should be offered a course of antibiotics given through the vein. This treatment has been shown to reduce the chances of the bacteria being transferred to the baby and therefore significantly reducing the chance of infection.
In the UK, however, there is no routine awareness and screening process. Many women may go through their pregnancy without knowing about this bacterium and the small, but unpleasant risk that it carries.
The decision not to introduce routine testing within the NHS was taken this year and won’t be reviewed until 2019/20 at the earliest. However guidance recommends that awareness should be increased and women should have the choice as to whether they are tested or not, knowing that if they are positive, then they will receive the appropriate antibiotics. It is disappointing to note than several other countries, such as France and Germany already routinely offer these tests.
In truth, the actual risk is low, out of the 800,000 babies born in the UK a minimal number actually catch this infection and die. However, the test is simple, and the consequences of the infection may be devastating. It is important that every woman and their family are aware and can take a positive decision to either obtain a test or not.
Jane Plumb from the Group B Strep Support charity said “Group B Strep Support is the leading national charity working to stop Group B Strep infection in babies. The GBSS is delighted to be working with community pharmacy through Connect pharmacy. Community pharmacies are convenient and local to everyone; they are such an important part of our high streets and help us with our health needs. We believe they can make a real difference in preventing Group B Strep infection in newborn babies too.’
We are hoping that every woman can pop into their local pharmacy and pick up some information. They can ask questions and think about things. If they want to, they can pick up a test and understand how to take the swabs themselves at home. Pop the test in the post to the laboratory, and the result will come back soon.
Community Pharmacy wants to help. Many Community Pharmacies are planning to raise awareness and offer advice to mums. Should the mum want to go ahead and test, then the community pharmacy will also offer a test at £35. Mr Richard Wells, superintendent pharmacist at Welldricks Pharmacies said about introducing a service around Strep B awareness and testing – “it aligns with our family philosophy – serving women pre-pregnancy, during and hopefully long-after”.
Connect2Pharma is a combination of expertise comprising pharmacists, sales and marketing. Our knowledge of the NHS and understanding of the needs of healthcare professionals in the current NHS environment, allows us to understand why healthcare companies need to interact with the NHS in a supportive manner. Find them by visiting connect2pharma.co.uk
To find out more about Group Strep B visit gbss.org.uk
