MICROBIOLOGY Streptococcus agalactiae, a group B streptococcal microorganism (Gram stain).
identify those whose newborn is at risk of developing the infection.
Charitable support Charity Group B Strep Support is calling for all pregnant women and birthing people to be informed about GBS as part of standard antenatal care. The charity is also calling for hospitals to enroll in the GBS3 trial, which is investigating whether testing pregnant women for GBS reduces the risk of infection in newborn babies compared to the UK’s current strategy. Jane Plumb MBE (Chief Executive,
Group B Strep Support) said: “The findings of this new UKHSA study are shocking, but unfortunately not surprising, providing another example of racial disparities in maternal and neonatal health. While further research is needed to identify the cause of these specific disparities, it’s clear that simple steps could be taken to prevent unnecessary infection of GBS in newborns. “We’re calling for all pregnant women and birthing people to be informed about GBS and its risks, so they can make empowered choices for themselves and their baby. It is also critical that trusts sign up to take part in the internationally significant NIHR-funded GBS3 clinical trial, designed to improve the prevention of GBS infection.”
Mr Edward Morris (President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists [RCOG]) said: “This research is striking reading, and is yet another example of how far we have to go to tackle health inequalities within women’s healthcare. Behind every shocking statistic is an individual family who have been affected by a poor health outcome. These persisting inequalities are unacceptable. “We are committed to ensuring that every woman and their baby has the best possible care. Through the RCOG’s Race Equality Taskforce, we are striving to eliminate racism and discrimination within obstetrics and gynaecology.” Tinuke Awe (co-founder of FIVEXMORE) said: “It’s distressing to see that these findings are yet another example of the maternity system failing Black women and their babies. We need more research to understand exactly why they are at higher risk of Group B Strep infection so that appropriate measures can be put in place quickly.” Shaista Gohir OBE (Baroness Gohir of
Hall Green, CEO of the Muslim Women’s Network) said: “With significantly higher rates of Group B Strep infection in Black and Asian babies, greater efforts must be made to improve awareness among pregnant women within these communities.
Group B streptococcal bacteria are present in approximately one in five pregnant women and birthing people, usually causing no harm but may be passed unknowingly from a mother to her baby around birth
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“Improving maternal empowerment was a key recommendation from our report Maternity Experiences of Muslim Women to ensure they are better equipped to make informed choices for themselves and their babies.” Professor Philip Steer (Professor Emeritus at Imperial College London, Chair of Group B Strep Support’s Medical Advisory Panel) said: “The results of this survey showing that the newborn babies of Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani family ancestry living in England have 40–80% higher rates of early onset Group B Strep (GBS) disease than babies of White ancestry, are consistent with previous reports of higher GBS carriage and higher maternal and neonatal mortality rates in minority groups. They emphasise the importance of studying not just whether, but why, these differences exist. We need to understand the reasons for the differences before we can design much- needed intervention to eliminate them.”
About Group B Strep Support Group B Strep Support is the UK charity working to stop GBS infection in babies. It raises awareness of GBS among the public and supports affected families, provides information to health professionals about how to prevent, identify and treat GBS infection in babies, campaigns for improvements to UK prevention strategies and supports research into preventing GBS infection in babies.
Supported by a respected medical advisory panel, GBSS will continue to press the government and the UK National Screening Committee to go beyond informing women to protecting them, by introducing routine screening for GBS on the NHS.
References 1 Collin SM, Demirjian A, Swann C, Lamagni
T. Race and ethnicity in neonatal group B streptococcal disease in England: 2016–2020. Pediatrics 2022 Aug 18; e2021056080. doi: 10.1542/peds.2021- 056080. Online ahead of print.
2 Group B Strep Support. About Group B Strep. (
https://gbss.org.uk/info-support/ about-group-b-strep/what-is-group-b- strep/).
3 Group B Strep Support. What does my test result mean? (
https://gbss.org.uk/info- support/group-b-strep-testing/what-does- my-test-result-mean/).
Further information is available online (
www.gbss.org.uk).
For a full copy of the study, please contact Oliver Plumb (
oliver.plumb@
gbss.org.uk).
SEPTEMBER 2022
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