Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about Group B Streptococcus (GBS). I know that this infection can have a devastating effect for some mothers and their babies.
There are roughly 400 to 500 cases of early onset GBS each year, and the
vast majority of babies affected will fully recover with prompt treatment. The
UK NSC also stresses the importance of not prescribing antibiotics
unnecessarily. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
has published guidelines outlining the steps required to effectively
prevent and treat GBS infections.
In
March 2017, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), which advises
ministers in all four UK countries on all aspects of screening, concluded that
it would not recommend a national screening programme for GBS in pregnancy.
This is because, unfortunately, the current test cannot accurately distinguish between those mothers whose babies are at risk, and
those who are not.
However, I welcome that a National Institute for Health Research funded clinical trial is comparing universal screening for GBS with two other approaches for identifying GBS: through an antenatal Enriched Culture Medium test at 35 - 37 weeks, or a rapid point of care Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test during labour.
Maternity
care is a priority for Government, and it has announced an ambition to reduce
stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths and neonatal brain injuries by 50
per cent by 2025. This includes harm and death caused by GBS.
Thank you once again for getting in touch, and if I can be of further assistance with any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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