Summary
Knowing about Group B Strep when you’re pregnant or in the early weeks after birth can make a massive difference – most Group B Strep infections in newborn babies can be prevented, and early treatment can and does save lives.
Group B Strep Awareness Month focuses on empowering new and expectant parents with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their baby and engaging with healthcare professionals to improve education and awareness.
In this blog, Patient Safety Learning has pulled together six useful resources about Group Strep B shared on the hub.
Content
The charity Group B Strep Support (GBSS) has produced an information leaflet, written in partnership with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), aimed particularly at pregnant people and new parents and includes information on what Group B Strep is, what it could mean for a baby, how to reduce the risk and the key signs of Group B Strep infection. The leaflet has been translated from English into 14 other languages
2 Group B Strep: Poppy's story
Group B Strep is a type of bacteria which lives in the intestines, rectum and vagina of around 2-4 in every 10 women in the UK (20-40%). Most women carrying GBS will have no symptoms and although it is not harmful to pregnant women, it can affect babies around the time of birth. Read Poppy's story.
3 Leading for safety: A conversation with Jane Plumb, Founder of Group B Strep Support
Jane Plumb is the Co-Founder of Group B Strep Support and the Women's Voices Lead for the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists. In this interview, she emphasises the importance of actively involving patients and families in patient safety discussions so that improvements can be informed by their insights and experiences.
4 The group B Strep i-learn module
Group B Strep can be a complex topic, with some confusion about what exactly is the latest guidelines on testing, risk factors, recommended antibiotics, and the impact (if any) of GBS on homebirths, waterbirths, breastfeeding, and much more. The group B Strep i-learn module focuses on the current UK guidelines for preventing group B Strep infection in newborn babies and on signs of these infections in babies. It will refresh clinician knowledge of the national guidelines, and help you tackle the FAQs you get from expectant and new parents.
This report published in 2020 highlighted a number of patient safety concerns and recommends that maternity care providers should consider the findings and make necessary changes to their local systems to ensure that mothers and babies receive care in line with national guidance.
6 Symptoms of group B Strep infection in babies
In the UK, up to two-thirds of GBS infection in babies are of early onset (showing within the first 6 days of life). Group B Strep Support have produced an awareness poster highlighting the symptoms.
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