Prevention is Key!
Babies are healthy in at least 95% of the births where the mother is properly
tested and treated for GBS colonization.
- Remember to:
Ask your healthcare professional to culture you for GBS between 35-37 weeks of pregnancy.
Discuss antibiotic treatment plans with your doctor.
Tell your baby's doctor and nurse about your culture result before the baby is
born.
Alert your doctor to risk factors and your culture status.
Some doctors may not routinely offer testing for GBS but may base treatment decisions
on obstetric risk factors alone. Twenty-five percent of all GBS infected babies will
be born to a mother who had no obstetric complications. This prevention plan will
not prevent as many infections as routine screening combined with antibiotics for
those mothers who culture positive for GBS.
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ROUTINE PRENATAL CULTURE AT 35-37 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY ALONG WITH I/V ANTIBIOTICS
DURING DELIVERY FOR THOSE MOTHERS WHO CULTURE POSITIVE FOR GBS OFFERS THE VERY BEST
PROTECTION AVAILABLE FOR THE NEWBORN. According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, this
method potentially protects more babies than prevention by obstetric risk factor
evaluation alone.
The Choice Is Yours.
No one really knows ahead of time if she will find herself in a high risk situation
during pregnancy or labor. Now that you are aware of GBS disease, please take the
time to discuss GBS testing and preventative treatment with your doctor.
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