INSERT DATE: For immediate release GIVE YOUR PRESS RELEASE A TITLE (you can also include a sub-title) 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 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 Strep is the UK’s most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies and of meningitis in babies up to the age of 3 months. Carried by between 20% and 30% of women, the group B Strep bacteria can pass from a pregnant woman to baby during labour and birth with devastating consequences for the newborn baby. At least 500 babies a year in the UK are infected with group B Strep; of these, one in 10 sick babies die, one in 20 survivors suffer long-term problems and five in 10 survivors of group B Strep meningitis suffer long-term mental and physical problems including cerebral palsy. Yet women are rarely told about it by their health professionals and even more rarely offered testing. Group B Strep infection in newborn babies is preventable and is being successfully prevented in many other developed countries which routinely offer pregnant women screening using sensitive tests rarely available within the NHS. In these countries, rates of group B Strep infection in newborn babies have fallen dramatically by up to 71% to 86%.1 A simple and inexpensive test in later stages of pregnancy 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy 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 laboratories 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 group B Strep infection in newborn babies. Intravenous antibiotics given in labour to pregnant women carrying group B Strep reduces group B Strep infection in newborn babies by up to 90%. 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 group B Strep as a routine part of her antenatal care, coupled with a national screening programme offering testing for group B Strep 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.” To sponsor INSERT YOUR NAME, readers can donate online at INSERT THE URL OF YOUR ONLINE DONATION PAGE, IF YOU HAVE ONE, OR YOUR CHARITY'S WEBSITE or can ring INSERT YOUR NAME on INSERT YOUR PHONE NUMBER. Include/attach any captioned family pictures you are happy to have published. For further information please contact: INSERT THE NAME OF THE PERSON THE NEWSPAPER SHOULD CONTACT FOR FURTHER QUOTES OF TO ARRANGE A PHOTO OPPORTUNITY -THIS CAN BE YOU OR SOMEBODY ELSE ON YOUR BEHALF Tel. INSERT CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER email: INSERT CONTACT EMAIL 1 Albouy-Llaty M, Nadeau C, Descombes E, Pierre F, Migeot V. Improving perinatal Group B streptococcus screening with process indicators. J Eval Clin Pract 2011 For comment or greater detail: Jane Plumb MBE, Chief Executive, Group B Strep Support Tel: 01444 416176 (offfice hours) e-mail: jplumb@gbss.org.uk For media enquiries and further information: Sarah Fiedosiuk, Media and Awareness, Group B Strep Support Tel: 01444 416176 (office hours - out of hours mobile 07984 639898) email: sfiedosiuk@gbss.org.uk For free information on group B Strep, please visit http://www.gbss.org.uk Notes to Editors: Group B Strep is the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies and meningitis in babies up to the age of 3 months, passing from mother to baby during labour and birth. 20% to 30% of women carry group B Strep, usually without harm or symptoms. Identifying pregnant women likely to be carrying group B Strep infection and giving them intravenous antibiotics (usually penicillin) during labour can reduce group B Strep infection in newborn babies by up to 90%. By 2013, the number of newborn babies developing group B Strep infection had risen by 21% since the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2003 prevention guidelines were introduced. Even with the best medical care one in 10 babies of babies sick with group B Strep infection dies, one in 20 of the survivors of group B Strep infection suffer long-term problems and five in 10 survivors of group B Strep meningitis suffer long-term mental and physical problems, including cerebral palsy. Routine testing of all pregnant women in the UK for group B Strep carriage is not currently recommended by the UK National Screening Committee. Current UK group B Strep prevention strategy: The group B Strep rate per live birth is higher now in the UK than it was in 2003, when the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists introduced their risk-based guidelines in an effort to prevent cases of early-onset group B Strep infection in newborn babies. These guidelines (updated 2012) were expected to reduce the incidence of earlyonset group B Strep infection significantly – by up to 60%. This has not happened (see Data Series). Carrying group B Strep at delivery is the key risk factor for group B Strep infection in babies. Determining whether a pregnant woman carries group B Strep late in pregnancy (35-37 weeks) is a better indicator of a baby’s risk of developing the infection. Other countries which routinely screen have seen falls in the rate of these infections in newborn babies by up to 86%. Providing the test on the NHS would cost £11 per test. Private, home-testing kits are available for around £35. Visit Testing. A report on Group B Strep - Preventable Death and Disability caused by group B Strep, summarises the pros and cons of the current group B Strep prevention in the UK. http://www.gbss.org.uk/filepool/GBSSReport_2013.pdf Charity Group B Strep Support is the UK’s dedicated charity to preventing life-threatening infection in newborn babies, providing information and support to families affected by group B Strep, and their health professionals. It is calling for every pregnant woman in the UK to be routinely tested to prevent unnecessary tragedies. Group B Strep Support is supported by an independent medical advisory panel.