Medical experts have urged the Government to consider introducing standard screening of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) for pregnant women in the UK.
Fresh calls have been made following a study which revealed that babies are 83 percent less likely to develop the infection if their mothers have been screened.
GBS can be life-threatening to newborn babies. If untreated, the infection can be passed from the mother to her child during labour, and can cause serious complications for the baby – including pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis.
While the infection can be dangerous for babies, previous research has revealed that a whopping 90 percent of early-onset GBS is actually preventable by treating the mother with antibiotics during her labour.
And with countries such as the US and France routinely screening for the infection in their expectant mothers, experts are now urging health authorities in this country to follow suit.
The aforementioned study, published in the BMJ Open, analysed data from 6,000 pregnant women in the North West London Healthcare trust. They were then offered the GBS screening test over a 22-month period, and the condition was preventable in a staggering percentage of cases.
Commenting on the findings, lead researcher Dr Gopal Rao, of Northwick Park Hospital, said: “Our hospital’s rate of Group B Strep infection was much higher than the national average, despite carefully following national guidelines.
“I looked at international evidence showing how well screening worked overseas, and wondered if it could work as well in the UK. Our pilot study has demonstrated that not only is screening doable in a UK setting, it had an even greater effect than we had expected.
“We are delighted with our findings, and hope comparable results can be seen across the UK.”
The latest advice comes just months after This Morning health expert Dr Chris Steele described GBS as ‘the biggest threat for newborns’.
“The bug is meeting it on its way out in to the real world and it is infecting the baby. Babies are left physically and mentally disabled for life,” he said.
Symptoms of Group Strep B in babies include the following:
- Grunting
- Poor feeding
- Abnormally high or low temperature
- Very high or low heart rate
- Unresponsiveness (some mothers report that their baby is ‘floppy’)
- Abnormal breathing rates
- Irritability
Be sure to contact your doctor if you are concerned for either yourself or your baby.
