Group B Streptococcus is the UK’s most common cause of life-threatening infections in newborn babies, and of meningitis in babies up to age 3 months.
Most GBS infections can be prevented by giving antibiotics intravenously (through a vein) at the onset of labour to all women who carry GBS. UK guidelines recommend Mums should be offered these antibiotics in labour if GBS has been detected during the current pregnancy, if a previous baby had GBS infection or if she has a fever in labour. Other risk factors include labour starting or waters breaking before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy and waters breaking more than 18 hours before birth.
Intravenous antibiotics in labour are highly effective at preventing GBS infection in newborn babies, reducing the risk for a baby born to a woman carrying GBS from around 1 in 300 to less than 1 in 6000. Oral antibiotics should not be given during pregnancy for GBS as they have not been shown to reduce GBS infection in babies.
It’s important every woman gets tested from 35 weeks onwards into your pregnancy to find out if you are carrying the bacterium to be able to receive effective treatment in labour.
Screening for GBS is not routinely offered in the NHS. Testing for GBS needs to be included in the pregnancy and birth plan and discussed with the midwife, Obstetrician or GP including the treatment plan if GBS is detected. UK guidelines recommend that, when GBS is detected during the current pregnancy, the woman should be offered intravenous antibiotics in labour. This will stop most GBS infections from developing in newborn babies.
We offer a swab test, taken simply at home, following the method described in the UK Standard, using enriched culture medium (ECM). Two swabs (lower vaginal and rectal) need to be cultured, ideally in the last five weeks of pregnancy, to best predict GBS carriage around the time of delivery.
Unmarked & discrete packaging.
We provide easy-to-follow directions with the test kit allowing you to take your own sample conveniently on your own time. No lab visits, no appointments.
We ship the test directly to you! Simply complete, place your kit in the prepaid envelope, and send it on to our labs.
Get highly accurate results from some of the nation's most experienced labs.
Your results are independently validated by a qualified clinical healthcare professional to ensure validity and reliability.
Our home self-test kit is a convenient starting point and we will give you indication of what you should do next.
Early detection is crucial in reducing any long term consequences that may have a considerably damaging effect on your babies health. Antibiotics may affect the GBS test result. If you are taking antibiotics, or have recently, discuss this with your midwife or doctor.
