Group B Strep??

Question

My baby is 2.5 weeks old with prolonged jaundice.. The hospital are now saying he is colonized with group b strep even though i was swapped and showed as negative.. The hospital are still saying i must have it though.. My question is can i now be properly tested for group b strep now i am no longer pregnant as i have read some babies can be colonized with group b strep from their enviroment and i spent first 2 weeks in hospital so i would know if it was me or them who basically colonized my baby. Also is a colonized baby at higher risk of developing late onset of group b strep disease?? Many thanks for any help! Xx

Answer 1

Many hospitals are no longer testing for Group B Strep as levels change over time. A woman may be swabbed for GBS, and the result come back negative, and then swabbed again 2 weeks later and have a positive result. I don't agree with hospitals not testing for GBS, and think that women should be tested after 38 weeks. It can be tested through a vaginal swab (that the woman can perform herself, and give the swab to the nursing staff to send to pathology) or through a urine sample. It only costs pathology $10 to perform the test, and it helps those babies that are born to a Mum who is currently GBS positive.

If a woman has a GBS positive reading, she should have IV antibiotic cover during labour, and the baby requires 4th hourly temperature and pulse checks for the first 2 days. It may seem like over kill, but a baby can become very sick if left to go on longer. Problems with babies who are exposed to GBS is they can develop infections, and jaundice, like your little one. However there are many causes of neonatal jaundice, and GBS may not be the primary cause for your baby.

It is almost impossible to tell where your baby was exposed to the GBS. If you had the swab taken less than 2 days before you went into labour, then it is unlikely that the GBS came from you. The same if you had a Caesarian section with out your waters breaking.

Sorry I do not know about late onset of GBS. And I am talking about Australian hospitals and pathology costs as well.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I'm sure you were properly tested before. If you are GBS+ it can come and go. You could have been negative at the time you were tested and positive at the time you gave birth. You can be positive for one baby and negative for another.

Answer 3

So sorry to hear this! Can't help but want to offer sympathy. Good luck.