The Presence of GBS Does Not Impact Cord Blood Collection
Group B Strep (sometimes called GBS) is a type of bacteria that is often found in healthy women. According to the CDC, about 1 in 4 women in the United States carry this type of bacteria.1
Although the words “bacteria” and “strep” can conjure up some negative associations with troublesome infections, being a carrier for this particular group of bacteria does not mean you have an infection or are sick at all.
The GBS bacteria are simply part of the natural flora that keep your immune system in balance and do not typically pose any harm to you or those around you.
However, concern over the presence of GBS arises during child birth. In rare cases, newborns have become sick after exposure to GBS during delivery because a newborn’s immune system is so immature. The good news is that even if you test positive for the presence of GBS, exposing your baby to GBS during labor can be easily prevented by a simple course of antibiotics given during labor.
So when should you get tested for GBS?
As standard OB practice, you will be tested at about 35-37 weeks to determine if the GBS bacteria are living in your body. If you test positive for the presence of GBS, you may also wonder:
GBS has no impact on cord blood since it is not an infection or infectious disease—GBS are “friendly” bacteria for people with mature immune systems and therefore have no impact on its future use.
The important thing is to get tested and if you test positive, take the steps necessary to ensure that you have as safe a delivery as possible and a healthy newborn.
1,2 Center for Disease Control. “Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep!”
http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/general/protect-your-baby-GBS.htm
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