Pregnant women and new mothers are not being given enough information about life-threatening group B strep, a charity has warned. Group B strep bacteria are normally harmless and are common in pregnancy, but can spread to babies and cause serious illness and death.
The NHS does not routinely test for group B strep, though women can pay privately for a test and it may also be found during examinations for another reason, such as a vaginal swab. Now, the charity Group B Strep Support is calling for women to be properly informed of the risks and to find out their options if they have group B.
Some women can have antibiotics in labour to cut the chance a baby will fall ill. A survey for the charity of 529 pregnant women and mothers who had a baby in the last two years found that 66% are not getting information from their healthcare professional about group B strep.
Just 24% said they were given information by a health professional about the bacteria, 19% overall were told about group B strep symptoms in babies, and 13% were told about private testing for group B. Most (62%) did not feel confident identifying symptoms of the potentially life-threatening infection in a baby.
And some 93% supported the introduction of national testing for group B strep. Jane Plumb, chief executive of the charity, said: “These worrying findings show that progress still hasn’t been made by UK hospitals to deliver guideline-defined care – and expectant parents are being kept dangerously in the dark about group B strep.
“Midwives are under immense pressure in the NHS, making it even harder for them to give each expectant parent the information and care they need. But the stakes are simply too high – babies’ lives are at risk.” Guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) recommends that information on group B strep should be available to all pregnant women.
Group B Strep Support says two babies a day develop the infection, one baby dies of it every week, and one baby a week recovers but with a life-changing disability. It says most of these cases could be prevented.
The NHS does not routinely test for group B strep. The national screening committee ruled that tests cannot accurately distinguish between those mothers whose babies are at risk and those who are not. It said this means that a large number of women would unnecessarily be offered antibiotics.
However, Group B Strep Support says many high-income countries routinely offer testing to all pregnant women, including the United States, Canada, Germany, France and Spain. Ms Plumb said: “We are calling for all health boards and NHS trusts across the UK to implement RCOG’s guidelines and to support their midwives with training and education on group B strep.
“It’s vital that pregnant women and people receive the right care and are armed with life-saving information.”
RCOG president Dr Ranee Thakar said: “These new data show that more needs to be done to improve awareness of group B strep among pregnant women and people. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ clinical guideline on group B strep recommends that all pregnant women should be provided with information on group B strep as part of their antenatal care.
“As the leading cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies in the UK, it’s so important that parents are empowered to make informed choices about their care.
“We’d encourage all health professionals to share the free patient information leaflet we developed in partnership with Group B Strep Support, which is available in 15 languages, including English.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are committed to protecting all pregnant women and their babies from disease.
“Those identified at risk of having a baby affected by this particular infection are offered antibiotics in labour, enabling priority care and treatment for those we know are most vulnerable.
“There is currently insufficient evidence that the benefits of universal screening for Group B streptococcal infections could outweigh the harm. However, there is an ongoing clinical trial into this screening which is due to report in 2024, and the UK National Screening Committee will consider its results when complete.”
