What is streptococcus-B?

Streptococcus-B or streptococcus agalactiae or GBS is one of the trillions of microorganisms naturally present in the intestine of humans. Many times this microbe travels from the bowel to the rectum, vagina or bladder. As long as it remains at controlled levels, streptococcus-B has no negative effects on woman's health. It is however, among the most common and dangerous infections for infants. The percentage of women who have colonies of streptococcus-B during pregnancy ranges from 5% to 30%.

 

When it is necessary to use the HomeTest strep-B test

It is recommended for pregnant women to do the HomeTest streptococcus-B test from the 35th week of pregnancy to the 37th week. Studies show that testing for streptococcus-B at home is 50% more effective than preventative antibiotics, which may have side effects for the newborn. Cultivation of vaginal smear in microbiological laboratories may take 24 to 48 hours for the results. This is a valuable time that can be speeded up with the use of HomeTest streptococcus-B test. Detection of the bacterium needs to be checked more than one time. It may be that at the beginning of pregnancy the bacterium is in undetectable numbers, but at the end of pregnancy it is abundant in the vagina and can cause infection in the newborn. For this reason, pregnant women should frequently perform the HomeTest streptococcus-B test as at the end weeks of pregnancy, i.e. between the 35th and 37th week.

 

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