Do the Government save money by potentially risking babies lives/health?

butterflymum

Signature numbers continuing to rise - thanks again to anyone from MSE who has signed. Still some time left to do so if you feel you would like to support the petition.

gpjuicer

I have discussed this with my very experienced and knowledgeable midwife who has read a lot of research on the matter and does not advocate routine testing. Her main reasoning was that the infection enters and leaves the body and if one test is negative the next a couple of weeks later may be positive so is not reliable at time of labour. If the waters break and labour is delayed following this then this becomes more high risk of infection so then IV antibiotics would be used. She feels whats more important is recognising that a baby is unwell so then s/he can receive the necessary treatment. I do not believe that not offering routine tests is a money saving measure rather a clinical evidence based decision. However if my baby was to become unwell with group b strp I would probably feel differently so I completely understand why people are concerned about this.

Kzlnd

gpjuicer wrote: »

I have discussed this with my very experienced and knowledgeable midwife who has read a lot of research on the matter and does not advocate routine testing. Her main reasoning was that the infection enters and leaves the body and if one test is negative the next a couple of weeks later may be positive so is not reliable at time of labour. If the waters break and labour is delayed following this then this becomes more high risk of infection so then IV antibiotics would be used. She feels whats more important is recognising that a baby is unwell so then s/he can receive the necessary treatment. I do not believe that not offering routine tests is a money saving measure rather a clinical evidence based decision. However if my baby was to become unwell with group b strp I would probably feel differently so I completely understand why people are concerned about this.

Snap.
I read about GBS in one of my pregnancy mags and asked my midwife about it at the next appointment. She was fully aware of GBS, explained things and the reasons why routine tests are not carried out, because like the above poster was told, you could test for it and not have it one week but have it the next - When are you going to test, every month, every week, every day??
I have GBS, it was somehow picked up from one of my rountine urine samples given to my MW at an antenatal apt. However, I only found out 6 weeks later that I had it! - My stupid Dr failed to tell me and failed to tell my mw! :eek: I was given antibiotics during labour but had to have a c section, slightly less risk of passing to baby I think.

I don't think routine testing is needed, just a lot more education and awareness - no one else knew about or had even heard of GBS in our antenatal classes! :rolleyes:

crispeater

i know this maybe the wrong thread but im sooo excited!!

i've just been contacted by the gbss people and they have a journalist interested in my story (yes its a long one! LOL) thankfully a happy ending though.. so i will help raise awareness and put my ugly mug in print
how cool is that! lol

zztopgirl

crispeater wrote: »

i know this maybe the wrong thread but im sooo excited!!

i've just been contacted by the gbss people and they have a journalist interested in my story (yes its a long one! LOL) thankfully a happy ending though.. so i will help raise awareness and put my ugly mug in print
how cool is that! lol

Great! Let us know which magazine/paper you will be in and when, once you know of course!:T

Kazzajr

Hiya I just received a message with an update from the Government about the petition,

Read the Government's response
The Government takes the issue of information for pregnant women very seriously and has every sympathy for families whose newborn babies suffer from life-threatening Group B streptococcus (GBS) infection. Current policy advice from the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC), the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is not to offer routine screening for GBS to all pregnant women because there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the benefits of doing so would outweigh the harm. For example, there are concerns about the potential adverse effects from the increase in the use of intravenous antibiotics, especially amongst women who are at low risk.
In line with the RCOG guideline on early onset (EO) GBS infection, healthcare professionals are encouraged to use clinical risk factors to identify women whose infants are at increased risk of developing EO GBS infection. Approximately 60 per cent of cases of EO GBS infection are associated with these identifiable risk factors and it is likely that the majority of severely affected cases could be prevented by targeting this group.
As regards the provision of information on GBS, the UKNSC has worked with stakeholders, including Group B Strep Support, to develop a range of information materials for the public and professionals that is consistent and accurate. The NHS Pregnancy Book, which is provided free to pregnant mothers, includes a section on GBS and is updated annually. Information for the public is also posted on NHS Direct Online and on the RCOG website. In addition, a free GBS online learning package for healthcare professionals was developed to raise awareness about the clinical management of GBS. This provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary interactive teaching resource and is available at www.whsl.org.uk/gbs.
I hope this reply is helpful.

and here's a link http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page14453.asp

sounds like a cop-out to me, for a start no-one was asking for all women to have iv antibiotics only those affected.