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On INSERT DATE local resident INSERT YOUR NAME is DESCRIBE WHAT YOU ARE GOING
TO DO to support national charity Group B Strep Support. INSERT YOUR NAME is hoping that
HIS/HER fundraising challenge will raise ? funds together with invaluable awareness of group B Strep
(GBS) infection in newborn babies.
The NAME OF YOUR EVENT will take place at INSERT NAME OF VENUE and INSERT TIME AND
WHY YOU ARE DOING IT.
INSERT YOUR STORY – fill in your personal story here, and how GBS affected your family
INSERT YOUR NAME says,”
Group B Streptococcus (group B Strep/GBS) is the UK’s most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies. Carried by 1 in 4 pregnant women, the bacteria can be passed from mother to baby around birth and, without preventative medicine, an estimated 1 out of every 300 babies born to women carrying GBS would become seriously ill, 10% will die and up to half of the survivors of GBS meningitis will suffer life-long consequences.
GBS infection is up to 90% preventable and with proper testing and treatment of pregnant women – as is routine in the US, Canada, Australia and other European countries, both major economies such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain, but also Lithuania, Slovenia and Poland. Testing is so important since approximately 25% of pregnant women carry GBS and about half of infections in newborn babies are where the mother has no recognised risk factors. A simple and inexpensive test in later stages of pregnancy (35 to 37 weeks) can detect the bacteria, allowing treatment to be given to the mother during labour and so preventing infection in the newborn baby.
Only a few NHS trusts offer pregnant women ‘gold standard’ ECM (Enriched Culture Medium) for testing for GBS. Fortunately, a number of private medical laboraties offer home-testing packs following the ECM method described by Public Health England. The test results can then be used to inform what preventative measures may be needed to minimise the risk of GBS infection in newborn babies.

National charity Group B Strep Support campaigns for much greater awareness of this devastating infection among mums-to-be and wants to see every pregnant woman in the UK given accurate information about GBS as a routine part of her antenatal care, coupled with a national screening programme offering testing for GBS at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy.
Jane Plumb MBE, chief executive of Group B Strep Support adds, “The Government should act now to ensure that women get the very best advice and support during their pregnancy. This includes giving information on the serious nature of group B Strep infection, offering testing late in pregnancy followed by antibiotics during labour where appropriate to protect their baby from infection.”
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ONLINE DONATION PAGE, IF YOU HAVE ONE, OR YOUR CHARITY'S WEBSITE or can ring
INSERT YOUR NAME on INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER.
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For further information on GBSS
Tel: 01444 416176 e-mail:
email:
Group B Strep Support, P O Box 203, Haywards Heath, RH16 1GF www.gbss.org.uk
.
Registered Charity No 1112065. Company Registration No 5587535
Notes to editors:
Group B Strep is a normal bacterium carried by up to 30% of adults in the intestines and approximately 25% of women in the vagina. It can be passed from mother to baby around labour. This causes no problems for most babies: for some, it can be deadly, causing blood infection, pneumonia and meningitis.

Group B Strep is the UK’s most common cause of life threatening infection in newborn babies. In England,
Wales & Northern Ireland, the reported number of these infections has increased from 229 to 281 between
2003 and 2011 (up by 23%) and the rate per 1,000 live births has increased from 0.37 to 0.38 since the introduction of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists’ 2003 prevention guidelines. These increases come despite the expectation of significant falls in group B Strep infections in newborn babies following the introduction of these guidelines.
Data sourced from annual CDR/Health Protection Reports available at http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/StreptococcalInfections/EpifemiologicalData/
A report on preventable death and disability caused by group B Strep calls for routine screening as incidence continues to rise in newborn babies in the UK is available at http://www.gbss.org.uk/2013Report .
Newborn babies are at higher risk of developing group B Strep infection when certain ‘risk factors’ are present during the pregnancy, labour and delivery. These are: Mum carrying group B Strep during the current pregnancy, Mum having a urinary tract infection caused by group B Strep during the current pregnancy, a previous sibling having developed group B Strep infection, Mum’s waters breaking more than 18 hours before delivery, labour starting or waters breaking before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy and Mum having a fever in labour. However, these risk factors are only known to be present in fewer than 60% of newborn babies who develop group B Strep infection: determining whether a pregnant woman carries group B Strep late in pregnancy is a better indicator of the baby’s risk.
ComRes interviewed 1,000 20-35 year old women in the UK online between 28th October and 1st November
2011. Data was weighted to be demographically representative of 20-35 year old women in the UK. Key findings are available here and include:

54% of the women surveyed had heard of group B Strep, only 20% knew what it was

92% believe that information on group B Strep should be given to all pregnant women
 92% would welcome the opportunity for pregnant women to be screened for group B Strep in the later stages of pregnancy and believe this should be offered to women routinely

95% believe antibiotics should be offered in labour to women with group B Strep and that they themselves would definitely or probably accept the offer (89%)
The full data tables are available at www.comres.co.uk ( http://www.comres.co.uk/ ).
A few NHS trusts make sensitive testing for group B Strep available to pregnant women at the request of their health professionals, but most don’t. A number of private medical laboratories do – packs containing the necessary swabs are supplied free, with the postal service for carrying out the test costs around £35. See http://www.gbss.org.uk/test for the availability of sensitive testing following Public Health England’s B 58 from
NHS trusts and private laboratories. It has been estimated that the providing the test on the NHS would cost around £11.83 each. Group B Strep Support has no links and receives no money from any laboratory.
Group B Strep Support provides information and support to families and health professionals affected by group B Strep. It is the UK’s only charity dedicated to the prevention of group B Strep infection in newborn babies and provides comprehensive and reliable information, both printed and online. Group B Strep Support is supported by an independent medical advisory panel http://tinyurl.com/GBSS-MAP