Hi H.,
This is very common in women, as long as your doctor knows about it everything will be ok. Here is some information for you. I hope it helps.
THE REAL RISKS OF GROUP B STREP (GBS)
So many expectant mothers find out during the last few weeks of pregnancy that they have tested positive for Group B Strep, and they wonder what this means for them and their baby. What kind of risk does this hold for their baby? This paper will hopefully help you understand the risks of GBS.
Here are the real risks of GBS if we take the �worst case
scenario� according to various estimations...
If 40% of women have GBS...and those who have GBS have a 1
in 200 chance (according to the CDC) of having a baby infected
with GBS.
That means that even if we DON'T screen a woman for GBS...the
odds that her baby will be infected is .2%.
Of the babies that are infected (.2%), those infected with early onset (75% of them) brings the total percentage of babies in the general population who, if mom were not screened and no antibiotics at ANY time were given, that would contract early onset GBS...we're at .15% of babies who would contract GBS at all.
Continuing on...assuming we didn't screen at all, didn't give
antibiotics, did nothing at all...the percentage of babies who
would be born, contract early onset group B strep, and would die from this infection....we're at the last figure of .0225%
(or 1 in 4444 babies in the general public without screening)
So...if we didn't culture any women in this country...being as
pessimistic as the numbers allow...only .0225% of babies
are mortally at risk from early onset GBS, and only
.15% of any babies would be expected to even contract
early onset GBS.
What increases the risk?
There are certain conditions that we know increase the risk to a baby of a GBS+ mother. Those conditions are�
* Previous baby colonized with GBS
* Preterm birth (<37 weeks)
* Premature Rupture of Membranes (<37 weeks)
* Rupture of membranes during labor 18 hours or more
before delivery
* A fever during labor of >100.4
What is done if I test GBS+?
There are three basic options that you may be able to choose from.
* Antibiotics in labor to prevent the transmission
of GBS to the newborn.
* Antibiotics in labor if mom presents with risk
factors (listed above)
* Watch baby for signs such as fever or
breathing difficulties and treat the baby with
antibiotics if s/he show signs of infection
The current CDC recommendations are that all pregnant women
should be routinely screened for GBS between 35-37 weeks of
pregnancy, all women who test GBS+ should be given antibiotics
during the course of their labor, and all women whose GBS status is unknown should be treated with antibiotics only if they develop risk factors.
T. Soderling, Doula
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