A new ‘gold standard’ test to detect Group B Strep in pregnant women, the UK’s most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies, was due to be implemented on 1 January 2014.
However, Public Health England, formerly the Health Protection Agency, has reversed the decision after its research concluded that the effectiveness of the new test on ‘high-risk’ women has not been evaluated or recommended within current clinical guidance.
At present, pregnant women are given a ‘general purpose’ test to detect Group B Strep at 35 to 37 weeks pregnant. If they test positive, around one in four women are carriers, and they may be given antibiotics during labour to protect their babies from the infection.
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