Is my baby at risk of Group B Strep infection?

Risk factors for group B Strep infection in newborn babies:

• Mum has had a previous baby infected with group B Strep
• Group B Strep found in Mum’s urine during this pregnancy
• Mum has a raised temperature during labour (37.5°C or higher)
• Group B Strep found on a vaginal or rectal swab during this pregnancy
• Labour starts or waters break before 37 weeks of pregnancy
• Waters break more than 18 hours before delivery-

Risk factors multiply each other. So if you’re carrying group B Strep in your current pregnancy, the chance of your baby developing group B Strep infection increases by three fold. If you’re carrying group B Strep and give birth preterm, the baby’s risk is increased by 3 x 3 = 9 times.

The UK’s Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) recommends that intravenous antibiotics should be offered to Mums in labour to minimise the risk of group B Strep infection in their newborn baby in a smaller four situations:

RCOG indicators for offering antibiotics in labour:

• Mum has had a previous baby infected with group B Strep
• Group B Strep found in Mum’s urine during the current pregnancy
• Mum has a raised temperature during labour (37.5°C or higher) or other symptoms of chorioamnionitis (infection of the membranes around the baby)
• Group B Strep found on a vaginal or anorectal swab during the current pregnancy

Carrying group B Strep before the current pregnancy is not a good predictor of carrying group B Strep now. You are more likely to be carrying it again if you have been a carrier before this pregnancy but, without a positive group B Strep test result during the current pregnancy, you will not be offered intravenous antibiotics in labour unless one or more of the other risk factors is present.

Testing for group B Strep at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy is good at predicting the likelihood of your carrying group B Strep when you give birth at term. Earlier testing means your status may be more likely to change. Later testing means there’s a greater chance that your baby will arrive before the result.

If your baby has been ill with a group B Strep infection or you have sadly lost a baby through group B Strep which you believe has been as a result of medical errors during your pregnancy, labour or shortly after your baby’s birth and would like a no obligation discussion, please contact Elizabeth Smith on 01752 292309 or esmith@wolferstans.com