What is Group B Strep?
Group B Strep is a particular type of bacteria.
Are there ways to prevent getting Group B Strep?
No. Group B Strep bacteria are part of the normal flora in up to a third of people (men and women), and colonise the vagina in 20-25 percent of women. Carrying GBS is not associated with any health risks or symptoms to the carrier.
How do you become a carrier of Group B Strep?
Like many bacteria, GBS may be passed from one person to another through the skin to skin contact, for example, hand contact, kissing, close physical contact, etc. As GBS is often found in the vagina and rectum of colonised women, it is commonly passed through sexual contact.
What steps should I take to find out if I have Group B Strep?
When you are pregnant it becomes more important to know. An enriched culture medium test can be completed when you are 35 weeks pregnant. These may be available from the hospital, but usually, you will have to buy them from a community pharmacy or on-line.
How many people carry Group B strep at the moment?
GBS is a normal bacterium which is carried by up to 30% of adults, most commonly in the gut, but for up to 25 percent of women, in the vagina too.
How can Group B Strep affect my unborn baby?
Group B Strep only rarely causes an infection in a baby during pregnancy and is a rare though acknowledged cause of stillbirth. However, the bacteria can be transferred during vaginal delivery and the infection develops during and after birth.
What common symptoms should I look out for?
Early-onset GBS infection usually presents as sepsis with pneumonia. These “early-onset” infections are usually apparent at or soon after birth, with the typical symptoms of early-onset GBS infection including:
-
Grunting
- Lethargy
- Irritability
- Poor feeding;
- Very high or low heart rate;
- Low blood pressure
- Low blood sugar;
- Abnormal (high or low) temperature; and/or
- Abnormal (fast or slow) breathing rates with blueness of the skin due to lack of oxygen (cyanosis).
Further information about Group B Strep infection can be found at the Group B Strep Support website http://gbss.org.uk/what-is-gbs/faqs/
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Have more questions about your pregnancy, take a look at Celebrity Angels Preparing for Pregnancy guide.
