About GBS
My experience
This is my experience with Group B Streptococcus (GBS). This is my experience only – what I was told, how I was treated, what the outcome was, what I’ve learned. I am not a medical professional.
During my pregnancy, I was always aware that I would be tested for GBS at around 36 weeks. From the very high level information in pregnancy forums and online research, I learned that GBS is a common bacteria that is routinely tested for in pregnancy around 36 weeks. I knew that it would be a vaginal swab and the results would be either positive or negative. If you tested positive, you would be given antibiotics during labour, and if you tested negative, you wouldn’t be given antibiotics, and there was nothing more to it. From doctors, midwives, to the birthing classes we attended we were told that GBS is a bacteria that affects approximately 20 to 30% of women. Women who have it generally do not have or show any symptoms and it does not require treatment or any worry. At 36 weeks, I was given the swab by my obstetrician. A week later, I was told that my swab came back negative. I basically did not give GBS another thought after that.
About four days after Kiera died, we received a call with the preliminary autopsy results – she was highly infected with Group B Strep. “But I tested negative?” I said in shock. “Yes, and we understand your waters were intact.” was the response I got.
In the days, weeks and months following this news, I have learned the following about GBS:
- It is transient – it comes and goes
- In Australia alone, some will get the GBS swab taken by a doctor, some will be asked to self-administer, and some won’t get the test at all
- There is not a universal standard to GBS testing – there is currently no routine testing offered to pregnant women in the UK/Ireland
- It is thought that GBS rarely affects babies and therefore the narrative around it being “a routine swab to determine whether you will have antibiotics in labour or not”
- Many babies are actually affected by GBS – some will survive, some will require treatment, some will have long term disabilities, and sadly some will die
Typical symptoms of GBS in pregnancy include:
- Waters broken for over 18 hours
- Premature labour
- Amniotic fluid sepsis
- Fever during labour
- Urinary tract infection during labour
The bottom line (for me): Currently there is no universal protocol when it comes to testing and treating GBS in pregnancy. Furthermore, when a women tests negative, there is not enough information available or given as to what the results can mean. In the very least women should be told that the bacteria comes and goes (just because you tested negative this week doesn’t mean you will be negative at the time of delivery), and be given the option of being tested again at a later date, especially if you don’t end up delivering until weeks later.
I have linked a few websites below with more information about GBS from around the world.