Group B Streptoccocus Screening for Pregnant Patients

Group B strep bacteria usually lives harmlessly inside the digestive system and in the vagina. It’s estimated around one in every four pregnant women have strep B bacteria in their vagina or digestive system. We provide Streptoccocus Screening in Bebington.

The bacteria can sometimes be passed on to the baby through the amniotic fluid (a clear liquid that surrounds and protects the unborn baby in the womb) or as the baby passes through the birth canal during labour.

Most babies exposed to strep B will be unaffected, but in around 1 in every 2,000 cases they can become infected. A strep B infection during pregnancy can also cause miscarriage or stillbirth, but this is rare.

As newborn babies have a poorly developed immune system, strep B bacteria can quickly spread through their body, causing serious infections such as meningitis and pneumonia.

At present routine testing for GBS is not available on the NHS, and UK guidelines recommend a risk factor approach to determine which patients should be offered intravenous antibiotics during labour.

How Can I prevent GBS? `

Currently, testing is the only way to know if you are carrying GBS. Through Connect 2 Pharma and the Doctors Laboratory, The Pharmacy Bebington can provide a home self-test kit for £35. This will involve vaginal and rectal swabs which will be sent off by the patient and they will receive the result within 2-3 days.

If you test positive, our trained pharmacist can write a prescription for an appropriate course of antibiotics.

To find out more about Streptoccocus Screening in Bebington contact our team.