In the UK, around 800 babies a year develop group B Strep (GBS) infection, around 50 babies will die and 75 will survive with a long-term disability. At Group B Strep Support, we are the leading charity working to stop this life-threatening infection in babies. Formed in 1996, we educate the public, doctors and midwives about GBS and provide information and support to expectant and new parents, as well as affected families. We believe everyone should be informed about GBS and offered a sensitive (ECM) test to detect carriage late in pregnancy. The results should inform what action, if any, should be taken to reduce the newborn baby's risk of infection. ECM tests are not widely offered by the NHS, although they are available privately (approx. £40). An antenatal screening programme for GBS would prevent most of these infections in newborns, and, longer term, a vaccine could prevent more cases of infection, including stillbirths caused by GBS, GBS infection in the mother and late-onset GBS infection in the baby. As a charity that receives no Government funding, we rely on the generosity of those who support us.
