[ozmidwifery] Strep B

[Robyn Dempsey]

I have had 2 cases this year where a woman chose not to have the strep B swabs done antenatally. For whatever reason we transferred from home to the hospital for birthing. The staff wanted her to have antibiotics because the step B statis was unknown. Both times the mothers refused. Both times the hospitals then swabbed the babies, said something along the lines of 'we have found 'something' unknown that could be strep b" they then recommended commencing 48hours of IV antibiotics until blood cultures can prove otherwise( that it is not Strep B). Because of the fear involved, the mothers chose to have the IV antibiotics for the bubs. Blood cultures came back on both babies negative for strep B.   Scary as it is, I relate this story to my clients and let them decide if they want the strep B swab or not............guess what they choose?? Sad huh   Robyn Dempsey