GBS patient leaflet launched by the RCOG and leading patient charity

The battle against group B Streptococcus (GBS) has taken a leap forward with the launch of a new patient leaflet that will be provided to all pregnant women.

GBS is the UK's most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies but recent surveys have shown that many pregnant women feel inadequately informed about the illness. Now a patient information leaflet that was jointly written by experts at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the campaigning charity Group B Strep Support is to be provided to all pregnant women as part of their routine antenatal care.

Following RCOG's September update to its Green-top Guideline, it is now nationally recommended practice to provide all pregnant women with information about GBS. This leaflet will ensure women are equipped with quality information including how to minimise the risk of infection in their baby.

The leaflet is available at www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/patients/patient-information-leaflets/pregnancy/pi-gbs-pregnancy-newborn.pdf