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International Group B Strep Awareness Month
International Group B Strep Awareness Month
July 1
July is International Group B Strep Awareness Month!
International Group B Strep Awareness Month, observed in July, is a time to increase awareness of Group B Strep. It is also time to promote the need for a cure. And, to spur advocacy on behalf of those suffering with the emotional, financial and physical burden of Group B Strep.
This observance was first created to bring awareness of Group B strep to the general public. Since then it has been a focal opportunity for organizations and individuals around the world. During this observance month, people tell their stories, share information, and promote healthy outcomes for babies worldwide.
International Group B Strep Awareness Month recognizes that approximately one in four pregnant women carry Group B Strep, the leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in newborns, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Group B Strep can also infect babies during pregnancy and the first few months of life. Wear a pink and blue awareness ribbon pin in a personalized or non-personalized version to call attention to Group B strep.
What is Group B Strep?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year nearly 20 million pregnant women carry Group B strep (GBS). Although GBS is harmless for most pregnant individuals, it can be extremely serious when it passes to babies during pregnancy. The same is true of during childbirth or in the early weeks of life.
Not all babies exposed to GBS become infected, but, for those who do, the results can be devastating. GBS can cause women to miscarry. It can also cause babies to be stillborn, born prematurely, become very sick, have lifelong handicaps, or die. Even babies born to someone who tests negative can become infected by Group B strep.
Fast Facts About Group B Strep
- About 1 in 4 pregnant women “carry” group B strep.
- There are three types of perinatal GBS disease, each with their own prevention challenges:
Prenatal-onset GBS disease (before birth)
Early-onset GBS disease (birth through the first 6 days of life)
Late-onset GBS disease (7 days of age through usually 3 months of age)
More About GBS
- GBS is a leading cause of sepsis and meningitis in newborns according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- It is now the standard of care in several countries for all pregnant women to be routinely tested for GBS with a vaginal/rectal swab test during the 36th or 37th week during each pregnancy unless their urine already cultured positive in the current pregnancy.
- GBS colonization is transient which means that a woman could test negative, but be colonized later in pregnancy and vice versa.
- GBS is a fast-acting type of bacteria so it is imperative that everyone who takes care of your baby knows the symptoms of possible GBS infection in babies and how to respond.
Additional Complications of GBS
GBS most commonly causes invasive infection in the blood (sepsis), the fluid and lining of the brain (meningitis), and lungs (pneumonia). GBS can also cause invasive bone and joint infections. Some iGBS survivors experience handicaps such as blindness, deafness, and mental challenges, and/or cerebral palsy. Only a few babies who are exposed to GBS become infected, but iGBS can cause babies to be miscarried, stillborn, or become very ill and sometimes die after birth.
