MUMS-to-be who go into labour early should be offered antibiotics to stop a potentially deadly infection being passed to their babies, senior obstetricians have said.
New guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) says any woman who goes into labour before 37 weeks should be offered antibiotics to prevent passing on Group B Strep (GBS).
The updated guidance to NHS trusts also says women who have tested positive for GBS in a previous pregnancy should be tested at 35 to 37 weeks in further pregnancies to see if they will need the antibiotics when they give birth.
GBS is the UK’s most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies and is on the rise, with 500 babies infected with it in the UK in 2015.
The infection can cause a range of serious problems, including meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia, and even death.
The NHS does not currently recommend screening for GBS despite women living in other countries – including the US, Canada, France, Germany and Slovenia – being routinely checked.
GBS occurs naturally in the digestive system and lower vaginal tract of around a quarter of women at any one time and usually causes no harm.
The bacteria can be passed onto the baby during birth as it passes through the vaginal canal.
Most will not suffer illness but some can become seriously unwell.
Symptoms of GBS in babies include being floppy and unresponsive, not feeding well, grunting, having a high or low temperature, and fast or slow breathing or heart rate.
According to the RCOG, 17 out of 20 babies with the infection will fully recover if they are given prompt antibiotic treatment.
But two in 20 babies will be left disabled and one in 20 will die.
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Women are at higher risk of passing GBS to their baby if they go into premature labour, with 22 per cent of cases in 2015 found in preemies.
Around one in 500 babies born early will develop GBS, compared to one in 2,000 for babies born at full term.
And between 20 per cent and 30 per cent of premature babies with GBS will die, compared to just 2 to three per cent pf those born at term.
But the RCOG has ruled out universal testing of all pregnant women, saying there is no clear evidence to show that routine testing will do more good than harm.
Peter Brocklehurst, professor of women’s health at the University of Birmingham and a co-author of the guideline, said: “This guidance provides clear advice to doctors and midwives on which women should be offered antibiotics to avoid passing GBS infection onto their babies.
“In particular, we hope to reduce the number of early onset Group B Strep infections and neonatal deaths in babies born before 37 weeks.
“The management of women whose babies are at raised risk of developing Group B Strep infection remains a vital part of reducing illness and deaths caused by this infection.
“Ensuring a consistent approach to care in all maternity units is vital to achieving the best outcomes for both mother and baby.”
Professor Janice Rymer, vice president of education for the RCOG, said: “Research by the RCOG in 2015 found a large variation in UK practice about how best to prevent early onset GBS disease.
“This revised guideline will provide standardised treatment of pregnant women with GBS and reduce the risk of their babies developing the infection.
“The guideline also aims to raise awareness of GBS by recommending that all pregnant women are provided with an appropriate information leaflet, which the RCOG is now updating in line with this new guidance.”
Jane Plumb, chief executive of the charity Group B Strep Support, said: “When fully implemented across the UK, we believe this change will make a real difference and we will see the rate of infections start to fall.”
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