Group B Strep and Baby Loss Awareness Week

Group B Strep and Baby Loss

Babies come into contact with Group B Strep around birth and pregnancy, it is a natural and common bacteria which can be found in both men and women. Most babies who come into contact with GBS will not become ill.

Around 20% to 40% of women carry GBS, and the bacteria can be passed through skin-to-skin contact. People should therefore wash and dry their hands before handling a newborn baby.

However, if babies that have come into contact with GBS develop an infection, this could potentially be dangerous. The risk mostly applies to cases where the infection is not promptly treated. Early detection is crucial as GBS can cause life-threatening infections such as sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis.

Screening for GBS infection is not routine within the UK. To reduce the risk of early onset GBS infections, intravenous antibiotics should be given to women during labour if they present a high risk of giving birth to a baby with GBS infection. GBS can be identified by the Enriched Culture Medium Test, which is becoming more readily available on the NHS, or through a standard test (a high vaginal swab). A high vaginal swab is still used in many maternity units across the country and unfortunately misses up to half of the women carrying GBS.

Georgia’s Story*

Lucy’s first pregnancy progressed normally, with a C-section delivery date booked in. Before Lucy could make it to the date, her waters broke, resulting in her daughter Georgia being born around 10 days before the planned C-section. Georgia appeared healthy, although small in size.

Lucy, her husband Simon, and Georgia were transferred to the postnatal ward after the delivery. Georgia was a very noisy baby, and unfortunately, she was dismissed by the midwifery staff as ‘fussy’ or ‘dramatic’. For the first night, Georgia wouldn’t settle, and began making grunting noises. Georgia would latch on to feed from her mother but quickly fell asleep, resulting in her not feeding properly. These concerns were raised with staff on the ward during the night, but sadly they were brushed off.

In the morning, Georgia was checked properly by a doctor, who noted her grunting noises, difficulty breathing and that she was pale. Georgia was subsequently transferred to the neonatal unit to check for infection. An infection was detected, and Georgia began to deteriorate rapidly. The treating doctors suspected a hemorrhage. After unsuccessful resuscitation and CPR, Georgia passed away that afternoon, at just a day old. RIP

Tests revealed that Georgia suffered from suspected sepsis and a hemorrhage. Lucy agreed to provide blood samples and a high vaginal swab, which also confirmed a positive result for Group B Streptococcus.

Had the treating medical staff recognised the signs of GBS infection in Georgia at an earlier stage, or recognised Lucy’s risk of GBS, Georgia might still be with us today.

Raising Awareness and Potential Vaccines

This sad case highlights the need for prospective parents, new parents and medical professionals to be educated on and alert to GBS infections in babies and the potential loss of life that could follow. There is a need for more widespread screening, and education on the symptoms and risks of GBS in both mums and babies. This is vital in ensuring the safety of newborn babies and will hopefully prevent cases such as Georgia’s arising again.

Group B Strep Support charity advocates that new vaccines are urgently needed to reduce deaths associated with GBS. If the potential vaccine could reach 70% of pregnant women, then over 50,000 GBS related deaths could be averted annually, along with 170,000 preterm births.

Group B Strep Support have excellent information leaflets for clinicians and patients that are used at several NHS Trusts and their campaigning has ensured that the latest Core Competency Framework for all NHS maternity healthcare professionals specifically includes training on GBS prevention and treatment.

If you or your baby has been affected by GBS infection and you believe that the care/treatment you received from your medical professionals may have been substandard, please contact Laura Preston at ljpreston@slatergordon.co.uk. Laura is a medical negligence expert with a special interest in GBS cases and sits on the GBSS legal expert panel.

*Names have been altered to protect anonymity.