08/15/2024
Groub B Strep, or GBS, is one of the many common types of bacteria that is found in the digestive tract and won’t normally cause a healthy adult any harm. GBS can be found in the intestine, re**um, and va**na in about 2 of every 10 women near the time of birth. This is tested with a va**nal and re**al swab around 36 weeks of pregnancy.
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A few notes:
👉🏻 GBS is NOT a sexually transmitted disease, and it does not cause visible symptoms. At the time of birth, babies are exposed to this bacteria if it is present in the va**na.
👉🏻 Full term babies who are born to mothers who carry GBS in the va**na at the time of birth have a 1:200 (0.005%) chance of getting sick from GBS during the first few days after being born.
👉🏻 Although screening and treating all mothers who have GBS does reduce the number of newborn GBS infections, other more resistant bacteria are causing serious newborn infections in increasing numbers. E coli infections are an example. Due to the risks of GBS screening and treatment, many other countries such as Canada and the UK do not recommend screening or treating all women with GBS.
👉🏻 What happens if I test positive?
The vast majority of studies on GBS infection are conducted in hospitals, where interventions known to increase infection rates in general such as va**nal exams and internal fetal monitors are used with much more frequency than at home. The midwifery model of care does not support artificial rupture of membranes, frequent va**nal exams or the use of internal fetal monitors unless absolutely medically necessary for the wellbeing of the mom or baby. It is standard to monitor all moms and babies for signs of infections, regardless of their GBS status.
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💡 For more information, please refer to:
https://www.sarawickham.com/tag/gbs/
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/groupbstrep/
https://avivaromm.com/group-b-strep-gbs-in-pregnancy-whats-a-mom-to-do/
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