GBS Answers - Meridian Bioscience, Inc.

GBSAnswers
A Host of
Complications
At 40 weeks, Mikos’ doctor induced
labor. After 30 hours of labor, the baby’s
heart rate plummeted and Mikos had
to have an emergency C-section.
“I only remember that when Anthony
was born, I heard nothing — no
crying, nothing. Then I passed out.”
When she came to in recovery, her
fiancé told her that the baby was in
neonatal intensive care with major
complications.
As Mikos later learned, Anthony had
many problems, including pneumonia,
meconium aspiration syndrome,
severe edema, and respiratory
distress because the umbilical cord
had been wrapped around his neck.
But the most serious of the complications
was GBS. Even though the GBS
screening test had come back negative,
blood tests after he was born
found GBS in little Anthony’s blood.
Because of the many serious problems
Anthony was dealing with,
Mikos was told that if he lived, he
might have brain damage, blindness
or hearing loss.
Anthony spent 17 excruciating days
in NICU, but he survived. Now, almost
two years later, he is a happy, healthy,
perfectly normal toddler — no blindness,
no hearing loss, no neurological
problems. Excellent neonatal care
and a lot of luck saved Anthony. But
the screening test intended to prevent
his ordeal did not.
Be a Partner
There is no way of knowing whether
the membrane sweep introduced
the bacteria after the negative GBS
test or if the test itself was faulty or
perhaps misread. No medical test
How to Help Protect
Your Baby, Before and
During Labor
In addition to adhering to the
CDC’s early-onset prevention
strategy, Moms can take additional
precautions to help protect
their babies from Group B Strep.
The two pillars of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention’s
recommendation to protect
against early-onset GBS are to test
all women during week 35 – 37 of
In addition to asking your
doctor about your GBS test,
you should:
• See your provider promptly
for any symptoms of vaginal
infection. Get a copy of all test
results and keep them with you.
• Take caution regarding
invasive procedures.
• Discuss the benefits vs.
risks of possible methods of
induction with your provider
early in pregnancy as not all
providers ask before “stripping”
membranes.
is 100 percent reliable and there are
many ways to contract an infection.
But there is a lot moms can do to
improve the odds that their babies
will be born healthy and stay healthy.
“I know doctors get tired of patients
coming in with information they’ve
read on the Internet,” Mikos says.
their pregnancy, and to administer
antibiotics during labor to those
who test positive.
For the test, a swab will be used
to collect a sample. According
to CDC, about 25 percent of
pregnant women are carriers of
the bacteria and should be treated
during delivery. Ask your doctor
for illumigene ® GBS.
• If you are having a planned
C-section, talk to your provider
about the risks vs. benefits of
starting IV antibiotics well before
your incision. C-sections may
not completely prevent GBS infection,
although the risk during
a planned C-section is extremely
low if performed before your
labor starts/water breaks.
The CDC says pregnant women
who test positive or have had a
previous infant with GBS should
receive antibiotics through the vein
during labor. This method is only
effective during labor because the
bacteria can grow back quickly.
But she still recommends being an
outspoken partner with your health
care providers. Ask questions, get
answers and do your homework. The
more you know and the more input
you provide, the better your chances
of a happy outcome like the one Anthony
and his parents enjoy.
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