Supporting newborn health through more effective maternal testing
While February may be better known for Valentine’s Day and President’s Day sales, it is also observed by the CDC and other healthcare organizations as International Prenatal Infection Prevention month. Raising awareness of prenatal infections is important first and foremost because they are much more prevalent than people might expect. Secondly, these infections, including the Zika virus, Listeria, and Group B Streptococcus (GBS), can cause serious health problems for both mother and child — problems that are often largely preventable.
GBS is one example of such infections, caused by bacteria found in the vagina or rectum of 25% of all healthy adult women. More than 200,000 cases of GBS are reported annually in the U.S., and while the infection is treatable with antibiotics and typically harmless for adults, it can be extremely dangerous for newborns. An infected mother can pass it to her baby during delivery, which can cause meningitis, pneumonia, and septicemia in the newborn child. In the U.S., GBS is the leading cause of meningitis and sepsis in a newborn’s first week of life.
Routine Prenatal Care
As a routine part of prenatal care, women are tested for GBS between their 35th and 37th weeks of pregnancy. Typically, this requires taking vaginal-rectal swabs and sending them to a lab for analysis; results are usually returned in 24-48 hours. We’re proud to be helping address this healthcare challenge with our ARIES® GBS Assay, which was recently cleared by the FDA. The assay is a real-time PCR-based in vitro diagnostic test that reduces turnaround time to just two hours after Lim Broth enrichment, and offers increased accuracy and sensitivity compared to standard culture-based testing.
Resources
As part of our commitment to creating awareness about prenatal infections, we’ve rounded up some references to help expecting mothers decrease the risk of prenatal infection for their baby.
- The CDC offers guidance to pregnant women that includes consulting a physician about screening options, and avoiding activities that may increase the risk of infection. Read more at the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/features/prenatalinfections
- The Group B Strep International (GBSI) organization also promotes international awareness and prevention of GBS disease. Visit their website to learn more about GBS disease and prevention: https://www.groupbstrepinternational.org/gbs-medical-articles-and-abstracts.html
We are glad to stand with the CDC in its campaign to raise awareness of prenatal infections, and to be contributing to the goal of ensuring healthy mothers and infants through our Women’s Health portfolio.
