Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, is supporting calls from UK charity Group B Strep Support for more to be done to improve awareness of group B Strep, after research found that one in five women have not heard of the disease.

Group B Strep (also known as Strep B or GBS) is a normal bacterium carried by around one in five adults, usually with no symptoms or side-effects.  It is also the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies. These infections happen when the bacteria are transmitted to the baby around labour and can cause conditions such as sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis; if left untreated, a GBS infection can kill a newborn baby within hours.

Justin said:

“Group B Strep causes potentially fatal infection in newborn babies, but shockingly around one in every five pregnant women haven’t even heard of it.  I’m supporting Group B Strep Support’s work to make sure every pregnant woman in the UK is told about Group B Strep.

“Knowing about Group B Strep when you’re pregnant and in the early weeks after birth can make a massive difference – most GBS infections in newborn babies can be prevented, and early treatment can and does save lives.  For more information ask your doctor or midwife or take a look at the Group B Strep Support website at https://gbss.org.uk/”.