GBS in Pregnancy

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one of the many bacteria that normally live in our bodies and which usually cause no harm.

Screening for GBS is not routinely offered to all pregnant women in the UK.

If you carry GBS, most of the time your baby will be born safely and will not develop an infection. However, it can rarely cause serious infection such as sepsis, pneumonia or meningitis. Most early-onset GBS infections are preventable.

GBS is found in your urine, vagina or rectum (bowel) during your current pregnancy, or if you have previously had a baby affected by GBS infection, you should be offered antibiotics in labour to reduce the small risk of this infection to your baby. 

The risk of your baby becoming unwell with GBS infection is increased if your baby is born preterm, if you have a temperature while you are in labour, or if your waters break before you go into labour. 

If your newborn baby develops signs of GBS infection, they should betreated with antibiotics straight away. 

GBS is a common bacterium (bug) which is carried in the vagina and rectum of 2–4 in 10 women (20–40%) in the UK. GBS is not a sexually transmitted disease and most women carrying GBS will have no symptoms. Carrying GBS is not harmful to you but it can affect your baby around the time of birth. GBS can occasionally cause serious infection in newborn babies, and, very rarely, during pregnancy and before labour. 

On average in the UK, every month: 

43 babies develop early-onset GBS infection 

• 38 babies make a full recovery
• 3 babies survive with long-term physical or mental disabilities
• 2 babies die from their early-onset GBS infection. 

Infection is more likely to happen if: 

• your baby is born preterm (before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy) – the earlier your baby is born, the greater the risk
• you have previously had a baby affected by GBS infection
• you have had a high temperature or other signs of infection during labour
• you have had any positive urine or swab test for GBS in this pregnancy
• your waters have broken more than 24 hours before your baby is born. 

If you have been offered antibiotics to prevent GBS infection in your baby, these should be started as soon as possible after your labour begins, or after your waters have broken. They will be given through a drip and continued at regular intervals (usually 4-hourly) until your baby is born. You should still be able to move around freely during labour and this should not stop you from having a water birth. 

If your waters break before labour, your healthcare professional will talk to you about when you will need antibiotics and about the best time for your baby to be born. This will depend on your individual circumstances and on how many weeks pregnant you are.

The antibiotic that you will be offered to prevent GBS infection in your baby is usually penicillin. If you are allergic to penicillin then you will be offered a suitable alternative. 

Hope you found this information helpful.