Error: This is required. Error: Not a valid value. This page explains what the test is for, which babies are at risk of infection and how group B strep is treated. Group B strep is a type of bacteria commonly found in the intestines, rectum, urethra or vagina.
Many women have it, and it usually causes no health concerns or symptoms. Some women infected with group B strep get a urinary tract infection, and it increases the risk of a miscarriage only very slightly. The main concern is passing it on to the baby before or during a vaginal birth. While many babies who get infected stay healthy, a small proportion about 1 in become very sick within the first few days of life.
They get serious infections such as pneumonia and blood poisoning , or meningitis , which is an infection around the brain. These seriously ill babies are treated with intravenous antibiotics. Most recover with no side-effects, but some don't survive.
The group B strep test is a routine antenatal test. It involves taking a swab of the inside of the vagina. Your doctor or midwife will do this, or you may be able to do it yourself.
The swab is taken at 35 to 37 weeks' pregnancy. Tests done earlier in your pregnancy aren't a good guide to your condition at birth because the bacteria can come and go. But others ask only some women to have the test if they are at higher-than-average risk because they go into labour early, or their waters break early. If you go into labor earlier than 36 weeks, you may be tested at that time. For a swab test , you will lie on your back on an exam table. Your health care provider will use a small cotton swab to take a sample of cells and fluids from your vagina and rectum.
For a urine test , you will most likely be told to use the "clean catch method" to ensure your sample is sterile. It includes the following steps. For a blood test , a health care professional will use a small needle to take a blood sample from your baby's heel. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. Your baby may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out.
A spinal tap , also known as a lumbar puncture, is a test that collects and looks at spinal fluid, the clear liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. During the procedure:.
There is no risk to you from a swab or urine test. Your baby may have slight pain or bruising after a blood test, but that should go away quickly. Your baby will likely feel some pain after a spinal tap, but that shouldn't last too long. There is also a small risk of infection or bleeding after a spinal tap. If you are pregnant and results show you have GBS bacteria, you will be given antibiotics intravenously directly to your veins during labor, at least four hours before delivery.
This will prevent you from passing the bacteria to your baby. Taking antibiotics earlier in your pregnancy is not effective, because the bacteria can grow back very quickly. It's also more effective to take antibiotics through your vein, rather than by mouth. You may not need antibiotics if you are having a planned delivery by Cesarean section C-section. During a C-section, a baby is delivered through the mother's abdomen rather than vaginally.
That could potentially spell trouble come delivery time, because a baby who picks up GBS during childbirth is at risk of developing a serious infection though only 1 in every babies born with GBS-positive mothers is affected.
The good news is that if you're given antibiotics through an IV during labor, the risk of your baby getting early-onset GBS, which is typically contracted within 12 to 48 hours after birth or up to the first seven days, is much lower.
This test is now usually performed around 36 weeks of pregnancy testing earlier doesn't always predict who will be carrying GBS if women deliver after 40 weeks. Some hospitals and birthing centers offer a rapid GBS test that can screen women during labor and provide results within the hour, taking the place of testing a few weeks earlier.
Ask your practitioner if that's an option at the facility where you'll be delivering. If for some reason your practitioner doesn't offer the GBS test during late pregnancy, be sure to ask for it. During a pelvic exam at a prenatal appointment, your practitioner will test for group B strep by taking a swab of your vagina and your rectum. The swabs will be sent to a lab for analysis.
GBS can also show up in a urine culture obtained during a prenatal checkup. If it does, it may be treated right away with oral antibiotics and again in labor with IV-administered antibiotics. Prenatal Care: A program of care for a pregnant woman before the birth of her baby.
Sepsis: A condition in which infectious toxins usually from bacteria are in the blood. It is a serious condition that can be life threatening. Symptoms include fever, rapid heart rate, breathing difficulty, and mental confusion. Vagina: A tube-like structure surrounded by muscles.
The vagina leads from the uterus to the outside of the body. Copyright by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
All rights reserved. Read copyright and permissions information. This information is designed as an educational aid for the public.
It offers current information and opinions related to women's health. It is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. It does not explain all of the proper treatments or methods of care. It is not a substitute for the advice of a physician. Early-onset disease can cause severe problems, such as inflammation of the covering of the brain or spinal cord meningitis infection of the lungs pneumonia infection in the blood sepsis A small number of babies with early-onset disease die even with immediate treatment.
Antibiotics may be given without testing if: You had a previous child who had GBS disease You have GBS bacteria in your urine at any point during your pregnancy Your GBS status is not known when you go into labor and you have a fever Your GBS status is not known and you go into labor before 37 weeks Your GBS status is not known and it has been 18 hours or more since your water broke Your GBS status for this pregnancy is not known but you tested positive for GBS in a past pregnancy.
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