Women who go into premature labour should be offered antibiotics to prevent bug

JANE KIRBY

New guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) says any woman who goes into labour before 37 weeks gestation should be offered antibiotics to prevent passing on Group B Strep (GBS).

Updated

guidance

to NHS trusts also says women who have tested positive for GBS in a previous pregnancy can be tested at 35 to 37 weeks in subsequent pregnancies to see if they also need antibiotics in labour.

GBS is the UK’s most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies and is on the rise, with 500 babies infected with it in the UK in 2015.

The infection can cause a range of serious problems, including meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia, and even death. The NHS does not currently recommend screening for GBS despite women living in other countries being routinely offered a test.

GBS occurs naturally in the digestive system and lower vaginal tract of around a quarter of women at any one time and usually causes no harm. But for pregnant women who carry GBS, the bacteria can be passed onto their baby during labour. Most will not suffer illness but some can become seriously unwell.

According to the RCOG, 17 out of 20 babies with the infection will fully recover if they are given prompt antibiotic treatment. However, two in 20 babies will be left disabled, and one in 20 will die.

Women are at higher risk of passing GBS to their baby if they go into premature labour, with 22 per cent of cases in 2015 to babies born prematurely.