Group B Strep: Medical negligence lawyer sets out the key signs of the common birth infection and the support available to families

July is Group B Strep (GBS) Awareness Month, and despite GBS being the most common cause of severe infection in newborns, there's still the need to raise awareness and provide information and offer support to those affected. 

What is Group B Strep?

GBS is a bacteria carried by men and women. Carriers often have no symptoms, and so the only way to determine if someone is carrying GBS is through testing, such as a swab test. 

Pregnant women and birthing people can test for GBS between 35-37 weeks of pregnancy. GBS isn't usually harmful to mum or carrier, but there's a small chance it can affect a baby around the time of birth.

The types of GBS

There are two types of GBS infection in babies, early-onset occurring when the baby is up to six-days-old and late-onset which usually occurs between seven days and three-months-old. 

When a baby develops GBS infection this can be potentially life-threatening without antibiotics as their immune systems are not developed enough to cope with the infection.  It's estimated that around 800 babies a year develop a GBS infection, and around 50 will die, with a further 75 being left with serious disabilities, such as brain damage. 

What are the signs of Group B Strep?

In the UK, around two-thirds of GBS infections are of early onset, occurring in around one in every 1,750 babies. This typically presents as sepsis with pneumonia, with typical signs including:

• Grunting, noisy breathing or not breathing at all
• Inconsolable crying
• Not feeding well or not keeping milk down
• Having a high or low temperature (if parents have a thermometer), and/or be hot or cold to the touch.

Most early onset infection symptoms show within the first 12 hours after birth and can often be identified at the maternity unit. Fortunately, if picked up early enough, most early onset infections can be treated or prevented. 

Up to a third of GBS infections in babies are of late onset, occurring after the baby’s first six days of life, usually as meningitis with sepsis. It's uncommon after a baby reaches one-month-old and very rare after the age of three months.

Late-onset group B Strep infections occur in around one in every 2,700 babies in the UK and Ireland. The signs of late-onset GBS are similar to the early-onset signs, and may also include signs associated with meningitis, including:

• Being irritable with high pitched or whimpering cry, or moaning;
• Tense or bulging fontanelle (soft spot on babies’ heads);
• Involuntary stiff body or jerking movements;

The impact of the infection

There are no known ways of preventing late-onset GBS infections (although one day it is hoped that a vaccine will be introduced to prevent this), so prompt identification of the signs of these infections and urgent escalation are vital for early diagnosis and treatment. 

A vaccine is in development but will take many years before being available, meaning that testing at the appropriate time is critical for prevention of early-onset GBS infection. 

In 2023 NHS England published an update to its Core Competency framework, meaning all maternity and neonatal services in England are now required to provide their staff with training specifically addressing group B strep. 

With the awaited results of the GBS3 Trial, it's hoped that this change to the framework and the results of the trial, will significantly improve staff awareness and education regarding group B Strep, in turn protecting expectant mothers and their babies from infection. 

Legal and Charitable support

Late diagnosis or substandard medical care during pregnancy or after birth can increase the risk of complications. At Irwin Mitchell our medical negligence lawyers sadly represent a number of families who have either lost a child or whose children have developed severe disability due to negligent treatment. A legal case can not only provide families with answers but also secure access to expert support, and where a child has developed a severe disability, access to specialist therapies and rehabilitation.  

Group B Strep Support is the leading charitable organisation to help those affected by the disease, providing information and support to families and education to health professionals. Our lawyer Richard Kayser is also part of the legal panel for Group B Strep Support. 

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in supporting people and families affected by GBS at our dedicated group B strep section.