Group B Streptococcus Screening Test
THIS TEST IS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE BY MEDISAVE - WITH FREE POSTAGE - YOU ONLY PAY THE LABORATORY FOR THE PROCESSING OF YOUR RESULT
"Group B Strep Bacteria kills 75 newborn British babies a year. The NHS does not routinely test for it and up to nine out of ten pregnant women have 'never heard' about Group B Strep bacteria which infects 700 newborn babies each year in Britain... A further 40 babies are left with serious long-term mental or physical pr...
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Q. "any possible to test whether i am infected with the test kit given that after birth?"
A. "Hello. Unfortunately the test is only able to be used during pregnancy and should be taken at around 35-37 weeks, so that if GBS is detected anti-bitotics can be supplied from the midwife to prevent the baby from being infected.Kind Regards"
| Asked on 22-12-2008 | Answered on 13-02-2009 by CD | Faq No: 1125 |
Q. "Do the antibitotics have any side effects on the baby?"
A. "We are not medically trained to offer advice and this test is only for detecting whether Group B Strep is present - it will not go anyway towards treating it. However, it would certainly be worth contacting the following support group who give excellent advice and care to pregnant women regarding this subject:http://www.gbss.org.uk/?gclid=CIm_y5WNvZUCFQqyEAod0xbfPg"
| Asked on 02-09-2008 | Answered on 02-09-2008 by Melissa | Faq No: 592 |
Q. "When is the recommended time to test?"
A. "Hello.The recommended time for sample taking is 35 - 37 weeks. Thanks for your question. "
| Asked on 02-09-2008 | Answered on 02-09-2008 by LS | Faq No: 591 |
Q. "Is it too late to do this test if I am just over 37 weeks pregnant?"
A. "It is not too late but it is advised to test at this time to account for any babies arriving early. The result will still be accurate but the advice is generally to try and get within this time frame in case labour occurs before results are received. However, if you wish to take the test after 37 weeks the results will be just as accurate as if taken within this time frame."
| Asked on 05-07-2008 | Answered on 08-07-2008 by Melissa | Faq No: 339 |
Q. "How muc does it cost to get the results processed?"
A. "The processing fee is £34.00 currently."
| Asked on 07-05-2008 | Answered on 08-05-2008 by Twebb | Faq No: 65 |
Q. "just wondering if i was infected with my first baby and had anitbotic during my labor now my son is 2 and 5mth is he safe and health from the infection the Group B Strep has not effected him ? If i were to have another baby with a cersian takeing it out without going through the birth canual would it effect the baby or does it only affect the baby if it goes through the natural birth?and when does it start to affect the unborn baby? late term ie 35 weeks? please help greatly appreciate your time and answer."
A. "Hi, we act as a distributor for the kits, and as such, are not medically trained to answer your question. However, you can certainly contact the organisation that processes the tests, and they will be able to help. The organisation is called the Doctors Laboratory and their telephone number is 0207 307 7343."
| Asked on 29-04-2008 | Answered on 29-04-2008 by Ashley | Faq No: 37 |
Q. "how long to get test kit"
A. "Hi, test kits go out on the same day if ordered before 2pm. They are sent 1st class recorded delivery."
| Asked on 28-04-2008 | Answered on 28-04-2008 by Graham | Faq No: 35 |
THIS TEST IS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE BY MEDISAVE - WITH FREE POSTAGE - YOU ONLY PAY THE LABORATORY FOR THE PROCESSING OF YOUR RESULT
"Group B Strep Bacteria kills 75 newborn British babies a year. The NHS does not routinely test for it and up to nine out of ten pregnant women have 'never heard' about Group B Strep bacteria which infects 700 newborn babies each year in Britain... A further 40 babies are left with serious long-term mental or physical problems, yet Group B Strep is usually preventable with antibiotic treatment for the mother during labour".*
What is Group B Streptococcus (GBS)?
GBS is a common bacterium - it does not cause harm and does not require treatment. Approximately 25% of women of childbearing age carry GBS in the vaginal-rectal area at any one time. Babies who develop GBS infection are usually exposed to GBS in the womb although this can only happen during labour, birth, or after birth. Many thousands of babies are exposed to GBS with no ill effects - just why some babies are susceptible to the bacteria and develop infection while others don't is not clear. Group B Streptococcus is the commonest cause of bacterial infection in newborn babies in the UK.
Most GBS infections can be prevented by giving all women carrying GBS intravenous antibiotics at the onset of labour, as well as to those delivering prematurely or with a history of GBS. This recommended use of intravenous antibiotics reduces the likelihood of early-onset GBS infection developing in a baby born to a woman carrying GBS at the time of delivery from around 1 in 300 to less than 1 in 6000.
Detecting GBS
Testing pregnant women for GBS is not routinely available on the NHS but a sensitive test is available from The Doctors Laboratory (a fully CPA accredited laboratory). Testing for GBS is undertaken in the laboratory by using an enriched culture medium (ECM). Two swabs (lower vaginal and rectal) taken at 35-37 weeks’ gestation to best predict colonisation with GBS around the time of delivery.
How to order your Test Kit
On ordering, your test kit is sent in the post to you. There is NO CHARGE for this sample pack (which includes FREE postage). Inside this pack are two swabs, instructions for taking the swabs, a sample taking instruction sheet, and a payment form, which you complete and return at the time of sending your swabs to The Doctors Laboratory. The inclusive charge for this service is £ 32.00. You can ask your midwife/GP to take the samples (they may charge for this service) or if you prefer to take samples yourself, this is fine; many women do this, without difficulty.
When you complete the request form enclosed with the sample pack, you will see that there is an option to receive your result by SMS Text Message. A GBS GREEN message means the result for GBS is NEGATIVE and intravenous antibiotics are not needed. A GBS RED message means the results for GBS is POSITIVE during your pregnancy and means that intravenous (not oral) antibiotics should be offered from the onset of labour or waters breaking, and then 4-Hourly until delivery. Turnaround time for your results will be within three days of receipt of your swabs in the laboratory. The recommended time for sample taking is 35 - 37 weeks.
For further information and current information please visit the Group B Strep Support website: www.gbss.org.uk
With thanks to The Doctors Laboratory for their help and support.
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