How did this happen?!?

[Mountainblu08]

I was tested for GBS at 35 weeks and it came back positive. My doctors explained that I would recieve antibiotics once I went into labor to prevent my daughter from contracting GBS, but they didn't seem concerned and said it is very common.  

  I went into labor at 39 weeks five days. I was at the hospital receiving antibiotics less than an hour after my water broke. I was running a low grade fever during labor, again no one seemed concerned. After 17 hours of labor it was time to push! My daughters heart rate was fine and I was doing good despite have a fever and being chilled. I had been pushing for three hours when the doctors became concerned about her heart rate and took me in for an emergency c-section. Despite being perfect my precious daughter died minutes after being delivered, they tried to revive her for 42 minutes without any luck. Turns out she was riddled with GBS, along with the placenta and umbilical cord. She died of Prenatal Onset GBS. This was something we were never made aware of, I didn't even know that she could become infected prior to my water breaking. No one has any answers nor have my doctors seen this before. Not only am I heartbroken but I'm also terrified that this could happen again!!!

[GBSSadmin Partner Volunteer Group B Strep Support]

I'm so very sorry to read this. Sadly, the intravenous antibiotics in labour, which are recommended as soon as possible once labour starts, will not stop all group B Strep infections in newborn babies (though research has shown that they can prevent more than 80% of them).

The likelihood of this happening again is very low, but this is something you should discuss with your healthcare providers - you can ask them to go through with you exactly what happened once you were in labour right up until your daughter died, so you and they can develop a plan of action for another pregnancy. There's some information about how to go about this at gbss.org.uk/information-and... which may be helpful.

I'm heartbroken for you - if we can help in any way, do let us know. And please accept my condolences.