RE: [ozmidwifery] Strep B screening

[Tania Smallwood]

I was actually witness to a midwife (and I do use the term loosely in this instance) calling a young woman a ‘selfish bitch’ for refusing to have antibiotics in labour, when she was of unknown GBS status…this was 6 years ago at one of our centres of excellence…shame…   Tania   From: owner-ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au [mailto:owner-ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au] On Behalf Of Mary Murphy Sent: Friday, 4 November 2005 8:49 PM To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Strep B screening   Thanks Sadie, It is interesting that these procedures are being done when the woman is of unknown status because the guidelines from the Health dept say that Gastric aspirate and swabs only tell us about surface colonization. The majority of babies who are born to those women who are colonized are mostly not sick babies- 50-75% of babies are colonized but only 2% are infected.  That is a lot of non symptomatic babies getting IMI antibiotics when they don’t need them.  Threatening to hurt their babies is an unethical way to get women to have a screening test. When will they learn to give accurate information to women so they can decide what tests they want? MM     Hi Mary, I have heard this said to women by some Dr's, however not all. Usual practice is to do gastric aspirate & ear swab on baby and check temps for 48 hours. And many women do refuse antibiotics for themselves and their babies - with encouragement from their midwives :) Sadie I have been told by a pregnant woman that she was reluctant to have a strep B test at 35-37 weeks. She was informed by a doctor in the A/N clinic of our public tertiary hospital, that if she went into labour with an “unknown status” and attended the delivery suite , her baby would have to be given IMI antibiotics until the baby’s screening swabs came back 48hrs later.  She felt that to protect the baby, she had to consent to A/N screening.  Those who recognize the description of this hospital, is that true?  Or has this lady been unintentionally misled?  Does this happen in any other hospitals?  Feel free to email me off line if you don’t want to “speak” publicly. Thanks, MM