July marks Group B Strep Awareness Month. While Group B Streptococcus (‘GBS’) often lives harmlessly in healthy adults, it can have serious consequences for babies if passed from mother to child during birth.
What Is Group B Strep?
GBS is a type of bacteria found in the intestines, rectum, and vagina of about 2 to 3 in every 10 women or birthing people in the UK. It rarely causes problems in healthy adults, but for newborns, exposure to GBS can lead to severe infections such as:
- Sepsis – a life-threatening reaction to infection
- Pneumonia – a lung infection that makes breathing difficult
- Meningitis – an infection of the brain and spinal cord membranes.
GBS is the leading cause of life-threatening infection in newborns in the UK, and sadly, some babies do not survive. On average, 66 babies are diagnosed with GBS each month in the UK and Ireland. Of these, 4 die, and 6 are left with long-term disabilities such as brain injury, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, or developmental delays. (Group B Strep Support).
Risk Factors for GBS Infection
According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (‘RCOG’), babies are more likely to be affected if:
- The mother tested positive for GBS during pregnancy
- The baby is born prematurely
- There was a delay of over 18 hours between waters breaking and birth
- The mother had a fever during labour.
GBS Testing During Pregnancy
Routine screening for GBS is not currently offered by the NHS, but it may be detected incidentally through other tests such as urine cultures or vaginal swabs. If you have had a GBS infection in a previous pregnancy, there is a 50% chance it will recur.
Currently the NHS and RCOG recommendations state that antibiotics should be given during labour if:
- Labour begins before 37 weeks
- A fever of 38°C or higher is present during labour
- GBS is found in a urine or vaginal sample during pregnancy
- A previous baby was affected by GBS.
Antibiotic treatment significantly reduces the risk of passing GBS to your baby.
Warning Signs of GBS Infection in Newborns
Most babies who develop GBS become unwell quickly. Seek urgent medical attention if your baby shows any of the following symptoms:
- Grunting, noisy or shallow breathing
- Difficulty feeding or keeping milk down
- Extreme sleepiness or unresponsiveness
- High or low temperature
- Pale, blotchy, or blue skin
- Unusually floppy body
- Seizures or jerking movements
- Very fast or slow heart rate.
When Is GBS Considered Medical Negligence?
Although GBS is naturally occurring, medical negligence may arise if risk factors are ignored or proper treatment is not provided. Examples of negligent care include:
- Failing to administer antibiotics during labour
- Delayed diagnosis of infection in mother or baby
- Not monitoring at-risk babies after birth
- Not informing patients about previous GBS infections or their recurrence risk.
In these cases, you may be able to bring a medical negligence claim if your baby suffered harm.
If your child developed complications due to substandard GBS care, it’s important to seek legal and medical advice. MDS, specialist medical negligence solicitors, can help guide you through the process.
Raising Awareness Saves Lives
This Group B Strep Awareness Month, we encourage all expectant parents to learn more about GBS. Knowing the risks, recognising the symptoms, and understanding your rights can protect your baby from preventable harm.
Daniel Fourie, Consultant Medical Negligence Paralegal from MDS, said “This Group B Strep Awareness Month, we encourage all expectant parents to learn more about GBS. Knowing the risks, recognising the symptoms, and understanding your rights can protect your baby from preventable harm.”
MDS is a specialist medical negligence law firm. We specialise in claims involving cancer, maternity, and cauda equina syndrome. Our expert solicitors represent clients all around England and Wales, and we are dedicated to helping people who have been injured by medical negligence.
Our solicitors have extensive experience of representing clients and their families whose lives have been affected by an injury to your baby. Click here to read more about how we can help you, and here to read one of our client’s stories.
If you are concerned about any care that you or a member of your family has received, please contact our experienced team on 0116 254 7456 or email: enquiries@moosaduke.com. You can also enquire online by clicking here.
