Group B Strep - The baby killer

I'm a person who supports women when it comes to infant loss. I've gotten many calls from women who have just lost babies due to this devastating bacteria which affects more pregnant women than we know about. I was first introduced to the bacteria at the age of 16, December 20, 1991 ... the day I lost my daughter. No, I won't make this blog about teen pregnancy, even though it may be my next topic.

The day I lost my daughter, the doctors had no idea of what caused her death. During labor, everything was normal and there wree no signs of anything being wrong. I thought I would have the best christmas of my life ... but it ended up an unforgettable christmas.

Doctors advised me to have an autopsy performed in order to find out what caused the death of Kiara. It took a couple of days to get the results but when I finally did, I was still confused about her death. The autopsy papers stated that Kiara died from meningitis, hyaline membrane disease, pneumonia, and sepsis (a blood infection). It was indicated that the bacteria better known as group beta-hemolytic streptococcus was the cause. I had no idea what that was so I did research. It took me a total of 10 years to find out as much as I could about this bacteria and the affects it has on pregnant women.

First of all, I would like to say that to this day, doctors still don't inform patients about GBS alot of times ... they still won't perform the test even though it is mandatory .... they still don't follow the CDC guidelines .... and they still don't let women know the risks of it.

If you asked 10 pregnant women if they know what GBS is, I bet 8 out of 10 won't know. It's really sad because they SHOULD know. When a mother knows about GBS, she can learn more about it and take extra steps in the prevention of her baby becoming a victim of it!

What is GBS? I know you are wondering.

In simple terms, GBS bacteria are found in the intestines of 10-35% of adults who are healthy, and can be found in the vagina of 10-35% of pregnant  women. GBS is not a sexually transmitted disease and it is not contagious. Most people don't even know they have it. A person who is a carrier of the bacteria but shows no sort of symptoms of infection, is known to be "colonized". When symptoms do become apparent and cause infection, this is known as GBS disease. serious infection can be caused by invasion of the GBS bacteria.

Each year, 15,000-18,000 newborns and adults will contract GBS disease. This can cause respiratory, blood, and other infections as happened to my newborn baby girl. In most of these cases, a baby becomes infected during childbirth when it comes into contact with the bacteria which is carried by the mother. GBS can cause infections during pregnancy in the womb, amniotic fluid, in the urinary tract, and after a c-section has been performed. This is all known as early onset GBS.

Then we have late onset GBS. Late onset GBS can occur in infants just days after birth ... all the way up to six months. This usually occurs when a GBS carrier comes into contact with the baby and the bacteria is spread. Symptoms can vary but a warning sign is a high fever. There are many other signs/symptoms that exist but I would advise to see a doctor in the event of any abnormal behavior in an infant. Early and late onset can both cause death.

What can you do?

Well, if you are pregnant, plan on having children, etc., become informed! Do research. Lots and lots of it. Take a look at the CDC website and read their recommendations and guidelines. You will see that alot of doctors won't follow these guidelines so it is now up to you, the educated pregnant women or even father, to bring it up to the doctor.

Any invasive, unnecessary procedures should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. For instance, an internal fetal monitor can be rejected unless ABSOLUTELY necessary because an external one can do the same job. There is risk with an internal monitor because it gets attached to the baby's head. This can cause a scratch on the baby's head which will allow the bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Internal, digital exams can be rejected. I mean come on, why do they need to stick their fingers up there every 2 weeks? It's not necessary and you can find many websites which state the same thing. after the initial prenatal exam and your STD screening, you don't need anymore exams. Internal exams can allow the bacteria to be pushed up further toward the cervix and this can be dangerous.

Anyhow, do research and speak with your doctor! If your doctor refuses to test you, make him write it in your chart! Testing should be done between weeks 35-37. You should not be treated with oral antibiotics during your pregnancy unless you have a UTI. GBS comes and goes so treating it early won't do anything but make you resistant. The proper treatment consists of monitoring a pregnancy appropriately and administering IV ABX (antibiotics) during labor. And if your water breaks, get to the hospital right away!

I hope this will help someone out. I wish I would have read something like this many years ago. It would have saved a life!

I'm not a medical doctor, just thought I would add this .... but I was a GBS advisor at a hospital in my hometown. It was a volunteer job and I think I helped many women! See a doctor if you need more information.

Here is a site where you can see the damage that GBS has caused for some families.

WARNING: This website contains stories and images of babies that have passed. If you're an emotional person, it will probably leave you in tears.

http://allisonhugs.org/angels_in_heaven.htm

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