Potentially saving lives of newborn babies in UK - please consider...

butterflymum

signing this petition https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/111145 , which calls for the provision of consistent screening and education for mums-to-be in respect of Group B Strep infection.


Information about Group B Strep infection and how it can affect babies during the birth process, can be found at the charity website of Group B Strep Support https://gbss.org.uk/ and in particular on page http://gbss.org.uk/who-we-are/about-gbs/what-is-gbs/faqs/ . Registered charity number 1112065 .


Please consider also sharing this thread with mums-to-be and health professionals such as midwives.


Thank you.






(think this is appropriate board, but moderators kindly move if another board more suitable)

System

Considering that there is a push to reduce gratuitous antibiotic treatment to lessen the chances of the development of more antibiotic resistant bacteria, don't you think it is rather a silly move to dose up every pregnant woman regardless?

butterflymum

As GBSS say

There has been a lot of publicity recently about the inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics (sparked by Prof Dame Sally Davies DBE, Chief Medical Officer, England – click here). We at GBSS are well aware of the risks of excessive use of antibiotics and have worked hard to stop misconceptions which result in their being given inappropriately – for example, in an erroneous attempt to eradicate carriage, or in a labour following a positive result from a previous pregnancy where the baby was unaffected.
Research has shown that intravenous antibiotics (ideally penicillin), given in labour to women whose babies are at higher risk of developing GBS infection, is highly effective at reducing the risk of GBS infection in newborn babies, without any known long-term side-effects on the baby, and no apparent tendency to increase antibiotic resistance. Indeed, GBS has remained sensitive to penicillin for over 60 years.

Anyhow, the petition I have highlighted is to encourage the provision of consistent screening and education for mums-to-be in respect of Group B Strep infection. It is not about giving antibiotics to all pregnant women regardless.

System

butterflymum wrote: »

As GBSS say

Anyhow, the petition I have highlighted is to encourage the provision of consistent screening and education for mums-to-be in respect of Group B Strep infection. It is not about giving antibiotics to all pregnant women regardless.

It also says

Screening for GBS is not recommended by the UK National Screening Committee nor the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists.

Obviously you know better than those 2 august bodies