Maggie Throup, Member of Parliament for Erewash, is calling for greater awareness of group B Strep, the leading cause of severe infection in babies, during Group B Strep Awareness Month.
New data shows that two-thirds of new and expectant mothers did not receive any information about group B Streptococcus (also known as group B Strep, GBS or Strep B) from a healthcare professional, despite the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) recommending that this information should be provided to all pregnant women since 2017.
Group B Strep is the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies, causing serious infections including sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis.
Maggie said: “Group B Strep is the leading cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies in the UK. I’m pleased to be raising awareness of group B Strep and the terrible impact it can have on families and their babies.
“This new data shows that more needs to be done to increase awareness of group B Strep in pregnant women and making sure they get the information they need to protect their baby.”
Group B Strep Support is calling for midwives to have better training and education on GBS to ensure they’re fully supported to inform expectant parents about prevention, testing that may be available and key signs of infection.
During Group B Strep Awareness Month, the charity is encouraging people to raise awareness of group B Strep among pregnant women, as part of their #BumpItOn campaign.