Misunderstanding Group B Streptococcus (GBS)

37 Comments:

• At Wed Feb 13, 04:52:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  can I pass streptococcus B to my daughters and grandchildren by touch or food etc etc

   

• At Fri Feb 15, 10:28:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Feb 13: Yes, but since about one hird of indicviduals are chronic carriers, don't know it, and don't even get sick from it, I would not get overly stressed about that. In fact, they may have been the ones who gave it to you! Dr T

   

• At Fri Feb 22, 02:32:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, I just found out that I have group B, this is my 3rd pregnancy and as far as I know my other two daughters dont carry the bacteria, does it go away eventually on its own? how do I find out if they have it and when the new baby comes should I keep my other children away from her? and because its so easy to pass from person to person what kind of sighns should I be looking for if theres a problem?

   

• At Wed Feb 27, 04:38:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I was just diagnosed with GBS today....not pregnant but want to be in the short future. Im 22 years old and im taking antibiotics to treat it now. Im just afraid that my partner has it too and we will continue to pass it back and forth...can that happen? And if it does happen when i get pregnant will it kill my baby or cause mental retardation? Im scared!!!!!

   

• At Thu Feb 28, 05:31:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Feb 22: If every family that had a GBS carrier imposed strict isolation on the "contaminated individual(s)" there would NOT be many happy families! Relax. Even as a carrier, your risks for complications for either you or the baby are low. And, your doctors are well versed in the appropriate indications for antibiotic prophylaxis. Good luck and thanks for writing! Dr T

   

• At Thu Feb 28, 05:37:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Feb 22: GBS CAN do all those bad things, but the actual attack rate is low. Remember, far more women carry it than have complications. BTW were you recently being treated for a GBS urinary tract infection (UTI) or was there another reason you were tested for it. If it was a UTI, you should probably be screened periodically for that during pregnancy since even asymptomatic bladder infections can cause complications related to premature labor and early rupture of membranes. Right now, you don't have anything to worry about, so don't! Dr T

   

• At Fri Mar 07, 09:49:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I had a baby girl in March of 2006 she passed away 7 weeks later with Group B Strep Meningitis. Just recently I had bacterial vaginosis and it did not go away. I went back a week later and they said I had tested positive for Group B Strep. I am not pregnant nor do I plan on becoming pregnant. I don't understand why they would have tested me for it. Do I have anything to worry about?

   

• At Sat Mar 08, 04:45:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Mar 7: I am not sure why they would test you for it either, unless you simply had bacterial cultures done and that just happened to grow out. Since 30-40% of people are chronically 'colonized' by GBS, unless you have a urinary tract infection with it or are having other problems, there is no reason to treat it at that time. You must be carefuly followed during another pregnancy because of the loss of your baby, even if it was well beyond the sual time of concern for GBS. You may not have entirely normal immune response to GBS and, therefore, your babies may not be as well-protected from the bacterium during the first 3-6 months of life by the antibodies that they obtain from you across the placenta. Thank you for reading and for your comment.
  Dr T

   

• At Fri Mar 14, 09:59:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, My daughter Sofia passed away at three weeks old on the 9th of Jan after contracting the GBS infection, which I tested positive for after her death. She was healthy for two weeks of her life at home but at birth she had an infection which the hospital could not recognise after numerous blood tests and checking her spinal fluid. They cleared the infection 8 days after her birth and sent us home using 'general anti biotics' because they did not know what she had. My pregnancy and the birth went well and I was healthy apart from being diagnosed with scabies during the seventh month of pregnancy. She had no symptoms of being ill until her 18th day of life by which time the hospital had to put her into intensive care on life support, at this time they first detected strep in her body but her brain had become infected and she died two days after.She was my first child and I am worried that if and when I am pregnant again if the baby catches the infection - doctors may not be able to detect it in tests again until it's too late.
  Seher London UK

   

• At Wed Mar 19, 06:41:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Mar 14: I am so sorry for the loss of your child. If this was a GBS infection, your doctors will be very aggressive about treating you with appropriate antibiotics during your next labor, even if you test negative for GBS during the pregnancy. They should also periodically screen your urine for GBS during the pregnancy. Most individuals who carry GBS don't have any problems with the bacterium, nor do their children, but others do not have a normal immune response to the GBS and are at greater risk for their babies having complications because they don't pass on enough of the proper antibodies that would ordinarily protect the baby early in life. You may be one of those individuals. Thank you for reading. Dr T

   

• At Wed Apr 23, 01:09:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  My daughter was just diagnosed with GBS and she is 9 months old. When I was in labor with her (10 1/2 hours) I only received one full dose of antibiotic and I am wonder if I should have had a second dose and if I should have if I would have received it is there a better chance that my daughter would not have it today?

   

• At Thu Apr 24, 06:25:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Apr 23: Not recieving the second does of antibiotic did not make your baby get GBS. You or some other family memeber may be a chronic carrier, as 20-30% of all folks seem to be, and she may be as well. Your own body has to keep the bacterium in check and all the antibiotics in the world may not ever clear it completely! It's one of those things many folks just have to live with! Stop kicking yourself and thanks for reading. Dr T

   

• At Mon Jun 02, 04:34:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  If a womwn has a GBS, does this infect her partner in sexual activities?

   

• At Mon Jun 02, 10:18:00 PM 2008,  kierston said…

  my first pregnancy ended at 19 weeks by misscarriage.the doctors said the baby was gbs positive. but they said my misscarriage was from an incompetent cervix. for my second pregnancy i recieved a emergency cerclage placement at 20 weeks and was on bedrest until i was induced at 39 weeks. the doctor stripped my membranes the day before i was induced and during the 19 hour labor i was given internal fetal monitors and antibiotics. my daughter became gbs positive 6 weeks later and died. if i am a constant carrier of gbs how do i protect my babies from being colonized? is my cervix incompetent because of the gbs? i need cerclages to carry my babies full term, but if the invasive placement is caousing the gbs to pass to the fetus, what can i do? i am afraid to concieve again unless i know what i can do to stop this from happening to me.

   

• At Wed Jun 04, 06:54:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Kierston: You may be one of those individuals who has a hrad time developing a normal immune response to GBS and because of that your babies may always be at risk. I am curious though, how soon after delivery did your baby get sick and were you treated for GBS prophylactically during the labor and delivery. I have suspected that GBS can contribute to cervical insufficiency in individuals like you but there is no proof of that of which I am aware. In a subsequennt pregnancy I WOULD recommend a good cerclage at about 13 weeks gestation, frequent assessment for evidence of GBS urinary tract infections and aggressive treatment for the same, adequate prophylactic therapy in labor, no stripping of membranes and the bare minimum of cervical exams and invasive monitoring during labor and careful attention to the baby by an expert in pediatric infectious diseases after birth. If you get pregnant again, I may have some other suggestions as well. Again, sorry for your losses. Dr T

   

• At Wed Jun 04, 07:30:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous June 2: So many people are colonized by GBS that it is hard to say how they pass it back and forth. It's just part of being human and it certainly is NOT a sexually transmitted disease in the strictest sense of the definition! Dr T

   

• At Wed Jun 04, 09:02:00 PM 2008,  Kierston said…

  Dr. T, I was treated with at least four doses of antibiotics during labor and delivery. my baby didn't have symptoms of Strep infection until a couple of days before she turned 6 weeks. i've read that with late onset gbs there's only a 50% chance that it was from labor, but im sure thats what it was from. I plan to try and concieve again in August, do you suggest that i see my ob/gyn before i concieve to develop a plan, or if there is anything i can do now to prepare before conception? you have been such a great help, thank you!

   

• At Sat Jun 07, 07:20:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Kierston: No, actually your baby probably did not contact the GBS until later and that could have been from you or any other family member who carries it. To prepare for another pregnancy, you might want to start taking some vitamin supplements that will boost your immune system: Vitamin C, B complex, folic acid, vitamin D. I think your problem has been that for some reason, you are one of those people who does not develop a good immune respone to GBS, so your babies are at risk for not getting much protective immunity in the womb as they might for other organisms in the environment. Good luck and I certainly hope things turn out better the next time around. Dr T

   

• At Fri Jun 20, 09:08:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I was just wondering I have had 2 children but had diffrent dads i wasnt group b possitive with my first but was with my second and they tested me at my post check up and i was neg again how is the possible to have it with one preg. and not the second

   

• At Sat Jun 21, 02:12:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I have recently been diagnosed with a uti caused by group b strep. I've been on two rounds 500mg 4X day) of ampicillin and it's still not cleared up. As a matter of fact, the bacteria count actually increased during treatment. Obviously the ampicillin is not working and I don't like the idea of taking yet another course since it kills all the good bacteria as well. What is a girl to do? I am finished having kids so that's not my concern...it's uncomfortable and I'm freaking out that this bacteria is running rampant through my body! Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

   

• At Sat Jun 28, 10:36:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I just was diagnosed with vaginal strep b (did cultures - that's what grew out). I am allergic to penecillin so am taking Erythromycin 400mg tid x 10 days. I am concerned that this may mean I have some unknown medical problem. I have no chronic health problems and have always been in good health, and see my dr. regularly. Can this lead to a systemic infection if the Erythromycin doesn't work?

   

• At Sat Jun 28, 10:38:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  from earlier comment (one taking erythromycin) - I am not pregnant and am done having children.

   

• At Sat Jun 28, 05:05:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I was diagnosed with GBS and I have a UTI from it. I am tremendously uncomfortable. I have taken ampicillin 250 mg dose 4x/day for a week. I did a test for the cure and found it was still in my urinary tract, though in slightly smaller amounts. I am still as uncomfortable as ever (to me, it seems even worse) and have just completed a 5 day course of 250 mg Z-pack. It is a weekend, so I haven't had a chance to give my urine to test the cure, but I am unbelievably uncomfortable - this feels worse than I've felt it so far. I know that when my urine was tested, they also tested these drugs on the culture to make sure the bacteria reacted to it, but none of the drugs seem to be helping. I am also drinking cranberry juice for the UTI and taking acidophilus to combat the antibiotics, but I'm starting to feel a little patient-zeroish here and worried that maybe I have some strain of GBS that is not curable or something. I had a month or two of vaginal discomfort from this and thought it was a yeast infection when this whole thing started and my doctor kept telling me that GBS in the vagina is usually asymptomatic and that it made no sense. Well, the symptoms were horrible! Now that it's in my urinary tract as well, the symptoms are even worse. I think it is in my anus as well, since that has started burning and hurting. Please help! I am seeing a doctor regularly for this, but it's getting me nowhere.
  
  I know I didn't have GBS and wasn't a carrier a few years ago, because I was tested before I gave birth and did not have it. I am not pregnant now and don't know why this is happening or how I got it.

   

• At Fri Jul 04, 07:09:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Jun 28 This does NOT sound like it is related to GBS. It could be another bacteria, fungus, genital herpes, human papillomavirus infection, interstitial cystitis, endometriosis, or a primary bowel problem such as regional enteritis. You may need to have another doctor look into our bladder and lower bowel. I will be very interested to hear what they find, so please let us know. Dr T

   

• At Fri Jul 04, 07:46:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous June 20; We do not understand very well what relationship GBS has with our bodies and our immune systems. We do know that 20-40% of ALL women are chronic carriers, that very few are at significant risk for complications related to the same and that it can appear to come and go without any treatment within in weeks. So, I am not surprised, you tested positive at one time and then not again and you may still test positive again at some time in the future. It's just one of those things we have to coexist with and generally we do so quite well! Dr T

   

• At Fri Jul 04, 07:50:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous June 28: You may be one of those individuals who does not mount a normal immune response to GBS and/or there may be someone or something in your environment that is a source of repeated reinfection. If you have recurrent urinary tract infections with any bacteria, I would suggest you find a urologist who can look inside your bladder to see if there is a structural cause for your persistent/recurrent infections. Dr T

   

• At Fri Jul 04, 07:53:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous June 28: I am curious as to why your doctors did a vaginal GBS culture if you aren't pregnancy. 20-40% of ALL women will be positive and very few are at any real risk from the bacterium. Dr T

   

• At Wed Jul 09, 10:12:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi,im 19 and im 37 weeks pregnant im gbs positive i wanted while having gbs can i be sexually active? i also wanted to know if drinking cranberrie juice would help?

   

• At Wed Jul 09, 03:48:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, I hope you can give me your honest opinion here... I am scared and dont know what to do.. I have been seeing a CPM now since my 3rd month of pregnancy..She is a great midwife and I really wanted to go the natural route and birth in their center... problem is I just got results back yesterday that I am GBS +.. I have never in any of my pregnancies had this..my midwife does not believe in treating with antibiotics and she gave me something called chlorhexidine with a douche bottle and told me to put one tablespoon in it filled with water and to lightly cleanse 2 times a day.. which I have done, and that I am to do this 5 days...I have now decided to go into the hospital because I want the antibiotics.. I dont want to risk my child, No one that works in their center is a nurse so they cant do antibiotics anyways... I just want to know if you think I am making a good decision.. I just dont want to chance it... not after hearing some of these stories and researching GBS more..Also what are the chances of the baby having problems with the antibiotics.. I am not allergic to penicillan that I know of.. I have taken it before.. but I have heard of antibiotic resistant problems in newborns.. Thank you for you help and any advice

   

• At Sat Jul 12, 03:38:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous July 8: MOST women who cary GBS ARE sexually active an do not even know they have GBS - so the simple answer is yes, you can be. No one knows if diet affects GBS carriage, but try the cranberry juice and see what happens! And, let us know if the GBS goes away, although it frequently comes and goes on its own anyway! Thanks for reading.
  Dr T

   

• At Sat Jul 12, 03:45:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 9: I know it is hard to give up the delivery with your midwife, but if she cannot provide antibiotics to cover GBS during labor, as is the current standard of medical care, you are making a wise choice to go to the hospital. Odds are you would have done just fine, as would your baby, since many women who carry GBS and were not screened USUALLY have good outcomes. But, I agree, why would you take the chance if you know. You would never be able to forgive yourself. Topical treatment with chlorhexidine has not been shown to prevent transmission to a baby during labor and delivery. It is unlikely the baby would have complications related to Penicillin unless you do, and if you do, you're better off in the hospital when that happens. Good luck. Dr T

   

• At Tue Jul 15, 01:13:00 AM 2008,  Fanny said…

  Hi Dr Trofratter, just to elaborate on my 1st question, if the sperm gets infected by GBS, does it mean that the baby is no longer “isolated” from the bacteria as the infected sperms goes to making the baby. This is on the pretext that the GBS does not compromise the quality of the sperm? Thanks again.

   

• At Tue Jul 15, 10:57:00 AM 2008,  Jen said…

  What are the symptoms of Group B Strep infection in a newborn? I tested positive for Group B Strep, had my membranes ruptured, was treated with antibiotics during 16 hours of labor and after, and ended up delivering via c-section. My baby is 3 weeks old and I just tested positive for a UTI related to Group B Strep. I am fearful that she has it or will contract it and want to know what to look for.

   

• At Tue Jul 15, 11:16:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Fanny: GBS is not carried inside of cells (or sperm) the way certain viruses can be, so I don't think that should be a problem! Dr T

   

• At Tue Jul 15, 04:12:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To jen: the presentation can be variable. High or low temperature, lethargy, poor feeding, respiratory compromise, and neurologic symptoms - jitteriness, irritability, etc. - are all common. Tell your pediatrician about your UTI and your fears and see if she/he has any recommendations. Best wishes and thanks for a good question. Dr T

   

• At Fri Jul 18, 09:58:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I was anonymous June 28 that had the ampicillin and the z-pack. I got my urine retested and still had the GBS in my urinary tract. I am not prone to UTI's - haven't had one in about 15 years or so.
  
  I had a vaginal and anal culture and there was nothing but GBS. The symptoms were really bothersome.
  
  I didn't know what to do and neither did my doctors. I was recently in Europe and a pharmacist I spoke to gave me manuka oil to take (3 drops, twice a day, mixed in sesame oil). She told me to take it for two weeks. Within about a day and a half, my symptoms all went away!
  
  It's only been a week so far, but I'm feeling very encouraged! After I finish the two weeks of manuka, I will again go for a urine test to make sure it is completely gone. I feel so fortunate to have found this solution. Even if the GBS is still there -- at least the symptoms aren't.
  
  If anyone out there has the same symptoms I did, please don't just buy manuka oil and take it. Check with your doctor first. Just because it is natural does not mean it is safe for everyone. Also, maybe your doctor can help you find a high-quality source for it. I just wanted to mention it here as a possible option for people who didn't have much luck with antibiotics, like me.
  
  Good luck and I'll let you know what my test results are when I get them back!

   

• At Fri Jul 18, 06:40:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous July 18: Thank you for your comment. One of the reasns I love writing this blog is that I learn things from my readers as well! Dr T

   

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