Group B Strep And C Section

Group b streptococcus gbs or streptococcus agalactiae is a type of bacteria that is naturally found in the digestive and lower reproductive tracts of both men and women please note that gbs is also the acronym for guillain barré syndrome a rare autoimmune disorder in which a person s own immune system damages the nerves causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.

Group b strep and c section. If you re having a c section then group b strep is no longer an issue. Also although the names are similar gbs is different from group a streptococcus the bacteria that causes strep throat. Infection generally occurs as a baby travels through the birth canal so if your.

The biggest concern is that group b strep can spread to the baby during a vaginal delivery. Caesarean sections are not recommended as a means of preventing group b strep infection in babies since they don t eliminate the risk though they do reduce it and they pose their own risks for mothers and their babies. It usually does not cause serious illness and it is not a sexually transmitted infection sti.

Group b streptococcus gbs is one of the many bacteria that live in the body. While only a few babies exposed to group b strep develop an infection those do develop an infection can develop life threatening complications. This is because the physical barrier protecting baby aka the bag of waters has been compromised.

If you are gbs positive and your water breaks baby can be colonized with group b strep regardless of whether you end up having a vaginal birth or a c section. Group b is in your vagina and if the baby won t be delivered vaginally then there s no way for baby to come into contact with it. If you have gbs and you re having a scheduled cesarean birth c section before labor starts and before your water breaks you probably don t need antibiotics.

There are no worries anyway if you were to deliver vaginally because they wipe out the strep with an antibiotic while you re in labor i m group b positive and they will be giving me this. In june 2019 the american college of obstetricians and gynecologists acog published a new committee opinion prevention of group b streptococcal early onset disease in newborns external icon external icon which all obstetric care providers should now be following. If you are gbs positive and have a scheduled c section talk to your doctor about recommended antibiotic treatment.

Acog s guidance replaces the 2010 guidelines published by cdc. It s not helpful to take oral antibiotics before labor to treat gbs.