Beta Strep and Pregnancy

I am 25 weeks pregnant and have tested positive for Beta Strep, what does this mean for myself and my unborn child?

It should not usually be a problem. If you are actually symptomatic, you want to be sure to take an antibiotic, like amoxicillin, that is not known to be harmful in pregnancy.

15-20% of all women carry this bacteria, usually in the vagina or the rectum, with no symptoms. Only about one to two percent of women carrying the bacteria have babies that are infected. About half of all babies born to infected mothers become infected right after they are born resulting in serious infections which cause death or brain damage. No harm is done to the mother.

The American College of OB/Gynecologists has not recommended routine screening unless the client seems to be at high risk, such as pre-term labor, pre-term prematurely ruptured membranes, prolonged membrane rupture, history of B Strep infection among siblings, or intrapartum maternal fever.) The reason that routine screening is not recommended is because of false positive testing, high recurrence rate, and lack of cost-effectiveness.

Actually, The Centers for Disease Control recommends that for every carrier of Beta Strep, there should be a prophylactic (preventative) dose of antibiotics. Many medical professional groups disagree with this because treatment is given to a patient who may or MAY NOT have the condition. Also, no regard is paid to the development of the baby. Antibiotics can cause problems with the fauna of the bacteria that are necessary for the baby's survival.

REFERENCES
a listing of scientific articles and texts used.