July is Group B Strep Awareness Month, an annual campaign led by Group B Strep Support to increase awareness of Group B Streptococcus, its potential impact during pregnancy and childbirth, and the steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of infection in newborn babies.
Further information about the campaign, together with a range of helpful resources for expectant parents and families, is available from Group B Strep Support.
What is Group B Strep?
Group B Streptococcus, often called Group B Strep or GBS, is a common type of bacteria that many people naturally carry in their bowel or vagina without any symptoms. For most healthy adults, it is harmless. During pregnancy and birth, however, it can sometimes be passed to a baby during labour and may cause serious illness.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists explains that around 20–40% of pregnant women in the UK carry Group B Strep. Carrying GBS is not harmful to you, but it can affect your baby around the time of birth. In some cases, GBS can cause a serious infection in newborn babies and, very rarely, problems during pregnancy or before labour.
How is Group B Strep diagnosed during pregnancy?
There is not one single approach to identifying Group B Strep, and practice can vary.
In the UK, routine screening for Group B Strep is not currently offered to every pregnant woman through the NHS. Instead, doctors and midwives look for recognised risk factors that may mean antibiotics should be offered during labour.
Some of the recognised risk factors include:
- Group B Strep identified in the mother's urine during pregnancy.
- A previous baby with Group B Strep infection.
- Maternal fever or other signs of infection during labour.
- Your waters broke over 24 hours before the baby is born.
- Preterm labour in certain circumstances.
If one or more of these risk factors is present, antibiotics may need to be offered during labour to help protect the baby.
Can Group B Strep be prevented?
It is not always possible to prevent a Group B Strep infection, but the risk of early-onset infection can often be greatly reduced.
If a woman is known to carry Group B Strep, or has certain recognised risk factors, she may be offered antibiotics through a drip during labour. When given at the right time, these antibiotics can significantly reduce the chance of the baby developing early-onset Group B Strep infection.
Something to consider with your midwife, in advance of the expected due date, is the planned place of birth and how antibiotics can be received during labour.
Are there different types of Group B Strep Disease?
Early-onset Group B Strep disease develops in the first six days of life and is most common in the first 24 hours after birth. It usually happens when a baby comes into contact with the bacteria during labour or delivery.
Late-onset Group B Strep disease develops from seven days old up to around three months of age. The exact cause is not always clear, and not every case can be prevented.
What are the signs of GBS infection in a baby?
Symptoms may include:
- Difficulty breathing or grunting.
- Poor feeding.
- Excessive sleepiness or difficulty waking.
- Irritability or unusual crying.
- Floppiness.
- High or low body temperature.
- Pale or mottled skin.
- Seizures.
Newborn babies can become unwell very quickly, so prompt medical assessment and treatment are extremely important.
When might a Group B Strep infection result from medical negligence?
Not every Group B Strep infection can be prevented, and the fact that an infection occurred does not automatically mean that care was negligent.
However, a medical negligence claim may be possible if healthcare professionals failed to provide an acceptable standard of care and that failure caused or materially contributed to avoidable harm.
Examples may include:
- Failing to identify recognised risk factors during pregnancy or labour.
- Not following relevant national or local clinical guidelines.
- Failing to offer or administer intravenous antibiotics when clinically indicated.
- Delays in recognising signs of infection in a newborn.
- Delays in carrying out appropriate investigations or starting antibiotic treatment.
- Failure to escalate concerns when a baby's condition was deteriorating.
Whether negligence has occurred will depend on the individual facts of the case. In most claims, independent medical experts are asked to review the care and give their opinion.
What injuries can result from delayed diagnosis or treatment?
If Group B Strep infection is not recognised or treated quickly enough, a baby may suffer serious complications, such as:
- Brain injury caused by meningitis or sepsis.
- Cerebral palsy.
- Hearing loss.
- Vision problems.
- Learning disabilities.
- Developmental delay.
- Organ damage.
- In the most serious cases, death.
Many babies who receive treatment promptly make a full recovery.
Can I make a compensation claim if my baby developed Group B Strep?
You may be able to bring a medical negligence claim if there is evidence that poor medical care caused, or significantly contributed to, your child's injuries.
A solicitor will usually investigate:
- The care provided during pregnancy, labour and delivery.
- Whether recognised risk factors were identified.
- Whether appropriate antibiotics should have been given.
- Whether your baby's symptoms were recognised promptly.
- Whether any delay in treatment affected the outcome.
Independent medical experts are usually instructed to consider whether the care fell below the required standard and whether this caused avoidable injury.
What compensation can be claimed?
If a medical negligence claim is successful, compensation may include damages for:
- Pain, suffering and loss of amenity.
- Past and future care needs.
- Rehabilitation and therapy.
- Medical treatment.
- Specialist equipment.
- Adapted accommodation.
- Loss of earnings.
- Travel expenses.
- Other financial losses arising from the injury.
The amount of compensation will depend on the seriousness of the injury and the impact it has had on the child and their family.
Is there a time limit for bringing a Group B Strep claim?
Time limits can vary depending on the circumstances.
For children, the usual three-year limitation period generally does not start until their 18th birthday. This means a claim can often be brought at any time before they turn 21. A parent or Litigation Friend can usually bring a claim on behalf of a child before then.
Different time limit rules may apply in some situations, so it is best to seek legal advice as early as possible.
Alpa Rana, Legal Director and Specialist Medical Negligence Solicitor from MDS, said “Group B Strep can be frightening for families, especially when a baby becomes seriously unwell soon after birth. If you have questions about the care you or your baby received, it is important to know that you do not have to face those concerns alone. Speaking to a specialist medical negligence solicitor can help you understand what happened, whether anything could have been done differently, and what support may be available for your family.”
