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Written question asked by Barry Sheerman (Labour) on Friday, 9 October 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 October 2015. It was answered by Ben Gummer (Conservative) on Monday, 19 October 2015 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Streptococcus: Babies

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received on the provision of Group B strep tests for new-born babies.

Answer

Routine testing of babies for Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is not recommended. Therefore, no cost benefit assessment has been made by the Department on providing GBS tests to newborn babies.


A search of the Department’s Ministerial correspondence database has identified 41 items of correspondence received since 1 January 2015 on GBS. This correspondence relates mainly to offering testing for GBS carriage in pregnancy.


If a woman has previously had a baby with GBS, her maternity team will either monitor the health of her newborn baby closely for at least 12 hours after birth, or treat them with antibiotics until blood tests confirm whether or not GBS is present. The Department’s policy is not to offer antenatal screening for GBS carriage. This is based on advice from the UK National Screening Committee the body responsible for advising Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy, and their advice is because there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the benefits to be gained from screening would outweigh the harms.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
10749
Session
2015-16
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Babies Screening Streptococcus
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk