One potential hazard that Moms may face during labor and delivery is the use of IV antibiotics for Group B Strep (GBS) infections.
At around 35-37 weeks gestation, a pregnant woman is routinely given a swab test that determines if they are infected with Group B Strep. This bacterium is very common. Approximately one in every three women carries it in her vagina.
The Group B Strep bacterium, while no threat to the pregnant woman, has the potential to cause very serious health consequences for the newborn baby.
Most women who test positive for Group B Strep are able to go on and deliver perfectly normal, healthy babies with no complications. Â However, a few babies exposed to Group B Strep may develop pneumonia or meningitis either immediately after birth or up to a week later. Â Some babies may have long term vision or hearing loss from the exposure, though this is quite rare.
Like the dangerous, synthetic Vitamin K shot that is administered to all newborns for an extremely rare, bleeding into the brain disorder, the Standard of Care for all pregnant women testing positive for GBS is IV antibiotics during labor and delivery even though Group B Strep infections occur only in approximately 1 out of every 4444 babies born to GBS colonized women (.0225%).
In one review of babies with early-onset Group B Strep infections born in Southern California Kaiser Permanente Hospitals from 1988-1996, use of IV antibiotics during labor “did not change the clinical spectrum of disease or the onset of clinical signs of infection within 24 hours of birth for term infants with EOGBS infection.” (Pediatrics, Aug 2000; 106: 244-250).
Did you get that?
1 out of every 4444 babies still gets sick with GBS infections even if their mothers are treated with IV antibiotics during labor and delivery. Â IV antibiotics make absolutely no difference to the outcome of babies born to Group B Strep colonized Mothers and yet this miserable failure of a medical protocol is still considered Standard of Care for pregnant women who test GBS positive.
Incidentally, antibiotics for a common related condition known as strep throat are not usually necessary either. Doctors just prescribe drugs for this condition because it is easy and patients expect it according to the Journal Canadian Family Physician (1).
Strep throat remedies using natural antibiotics such as cayenne pepper, manuka honey, garlic, and turmeric are fast and effective without the side effects.
Beware of doctors who tell you that the “medical research” indicates that this treatment does work. Â Research is a very different thing from what happens in practice. Research may indicate that a treatment works, but in practice, it may not work at all or may cause even more serious consequences than what the treatment is trying to prevent in the first place!
For example, children whose Mothers undergo IV antibiotics during labor and delivery appear to be highly predisposed for potentially lifelong complications, including severe allergies, asthma, ADHD, and autism just to name a few.
I realize this is anecdotal observation, but most children of the women I know who received IV antibiotics during labor and delivery have some sort of chronic health issue that the parents are continuing to struggle with years after the birth.
Another unintended yet extremely dangerous consequence of IV antibiotics during labor and delivery is the increased occurrence of antibiotic-resistant, “superbug” infections like MRSA.
In addition, IV antibiotics have increased the occurrence of infections such as sepsis and E. Coli. Â Â The sobering truth is that the risks of developing a superbug from IV antibiotics are much greater than the chance of saving your baby from Group B Strep infection.
It is clear that avoiding IV antibiotics during labor and delivery needs to be a priority for every pregnant woman.
It is imperative that this message gets out to Mothers-to-be that antibiotics don’t work to prevent a Group B Strep infection and this treatment has a high potential to predispose your child to the development of auto-immune disease later in childhood. Â Why hasn’t this treatment already been abandoned for lack of efficacy?
While it is always a difficult task to explain pure stupidity especially when such behavior comes from highly educated people trained to deliver care in a supposedly objective manner, my guess is that the boost to the bottom line in requiring IV antibiotics for every GBS positive pregnant woman (one out of every three!) is so powerful and such a dependable source of revenue for hospitals that only pure outrage and refusal of this treatment from an increasing number of pregnant women will stop the practice.
What is the best approach to avoid this dangerous treatment in the meantime while OBs continue to falsely trumpet it as somehow helpful to the birth outcome? Â In my case, I simply refused the Group B Strep test outright.
Even if you’ve had a negative GBS test already (for example, I tested negative with my first pregnancy), you can still test positive with later pregnancies, so when I became aware of the uselessness of this treatment, I no longer submitted to the test at all. With no positive test hanging over your head, medical personnel has a much weaker case for insisting upon IV antibiotics in the first place.
In my opinion, it is also best to seek an out of the hospital birthing environment where the birth process is not viewed and treated as a medical event. Medical personnel attending to a laboring Mom at a freestanding birth center or home birth are much less likely to favor the utilization of this type of treatment than the same personnel in a hospital setting.
If you choose to refuse the test as I did, make sure to consume a quality probiotic throughout pregnancy and especially during the final weeks of gestation which will promote the growth of beneficial bodily bacteria and will give any GBS bacteria (if you even have any) very little opportunity to flourish and harm your baby during the delivery process.
An additional habit to develop while pregnant is to utilize the benefits of fresh vegetable juicing as this practice has a wonderful, alkalizing effect on the body chemistry, Â discouraging the growth of any pathogens such as GBS and promoting the growth of healthy, beneficial, body flora. Ideally, fresh vegetable juice should be consumed on an empty stomach to have the most pronounced, alkalizing effect (2 hours after eating and do not eat anything for about 20 minutes after drinking the juice).
If you are reading this and you have recently given birth to a baby and you received IV antibiotics during delivery, it is IMPERATIVE even if you are breastfeeding that you get your baby on a Bifidus supplement immediately (there are brands made especially for infants) and continue for a month or two so that your baby’s gut can be recolonized with beneficial bacteria.
It is also wise for the Mother to start taking a therapeutic strength probiotic right away as her own beneficial bacteria will have been decimated by the IV antibiotics and her breastmilk will most likely not contain the number of good bacteria that it should as a result.
Great article! I have tested GBS+ with both my babies. My first, I had IV antibiotics (BTW, not only OB's recommend this. Some CNM's do as well, and this was in a freestanding birth center.) With my second, I did not because I only arrived at the birth center in time to push him out. There was no time for antibiotics. Both babies were fine, but my son, the second, with which I had no antibiotics, is healthier than his sister. He nursed better right from the start. He is more advanced cognitively as well. My daughter is speech delayed, and has several learning disabilities. I wouldn't doubt if the interventions such as antibiotics, that were used at her birth had something to do with that.
I'm expecting #3 next year. My midwife this time does not test for GBS. She thinks the test is useless. I like that! I also really like the tips toward the end of this article about how to promote healthy flora and body chemistry. I'm going to be doing that stuff for sure.
I was given IV antibiotics for beta strep for my first child but not my second. My first child has had to deal with candida overgrowth, food intolerances, and many other issues and setbacks involving brain and body. I certainly suspect these are related to early gut dysbiosis. We may try GAPS to see if it can help, but it seems such a monumental undertaking. Child number two – no problems like that. Knowing what I know now, I wonder if getting the good flora during delivery might have alleviated most of our current problems.
This is great information! I am very recently pregnant and since this is my first pregnancy on a traditional foods diet, I would love it if you could share what you did in your own experience e.g. what helped with nausea, how to eat well while lacking energy to cook etc.
I do not know enough about hibiclens to make a recommendation – it might be fine. I would get some firm research and/or literature on it and don't just go by what you are told at the birthing center. If your questions aren't answered adequately, then you can always opt out.
Thank you for this article, Sarah. I'm around week 38 of my first pregnancy, and have been struggling with this one. We're birthing at a great birth center, but they recommend a Hibiclens vaginal rinse during labor if the mother tests positive for GBS, and I did test positive (they say the rinse only kills GBS, but I'm nervous about it. Any thoughts about the Hibiclens?
Jessica, How did the Hibiclens strategy go? 37 weeks here with my 2nd, testing strep b positive, and I’m trying to find info about the strep b and hibiclens…thanks!
kaela,
I wouldn’t do the hibiclens. I did that with my second child. I tested positive, and we did the vaginal rinses to protect my baby. She ended up with GBS anyways- at exactly 7 days. Spent 13 days in the hospital with iv antibiotics. I NOW understand that the flora in the vaginal canal is where the baby’s immune system starts. By sterilizing that site- I birthed her without any healthy probiotics to colonize her gut- and left her system defenseless. If I had to do it over- and my plan with future children, is to be proactive rather than reactive. I will use LOTS of probiotics orally, and use yogurt washes. I’ll also eliminate the foods from my diet that would feed GBS. Hope that helps! Best of Luck!
This is what happened to us, too. Did hibi for home birth, our baby was hospitalized a few hours after birth with strep b infection/sepsis/pneumonia for 13 days.
I had none of the risk factors to transmit it, I was taking high potency probiotics and eating well, too.
I would still get tested, request the test earlier, and a follow up test, and try to get rid of the strep with herbs. Avila Romm mentions some of these herbs in her pregnancy book.
The research I read showed that there is a decreased risk of infection in baby with mom being on IV antibiotics- 68%, but they need to be given for at least 4 hours during labor. However, there is also an increased rate of death from secondary infections. 40% for this for baby.
I would not to the hibi again, I don’t think it protects the baby.
I am 36.5 weeks and just found out I tested positive yesterday – it’s upsetting! I am digging through as many encouraging tips as I can find, but it’s still a very tough decision. I am against antibiotics but I fear the worst-case scenario. When your daughters went back in to the hospital 13 days later, did they come out OK?
I got antibiotics because I was threatened and then my daughter almost died from infections. I hope the doctors die fiery deaths.
My favorite probiotic is BioKult. I would also recommend the GAPS diet for a short period of time to help heal his allergies or at least significantly reduce their severity.
The website gapsdiet.com has the GAPS book and the BioKult probiotic available.
I had my son, David, 6 1/2 yrs ago. I tested possitive for this and ended up having the iv antibiotic thru labor & delivery at the insistence of my OBGYN. I did not know HALF of what I know today and trusted his advice (my 2nd son was born in a birth ctr….tested positive but no antibiotics this time). David has a severe peanut allergy, had asthma bouts every time he got a bad cold (now gone w/ the help of our homeopath). But, he still battles w/ a poor immune system and seasonal allergies. Just yesterday, he sneezed half the day. I have had him on Renew Life's Florabear for kids. Can you recommend something better or is this one ok? We have been making changes to WAPF living over the last few years but is there anything else I can do to help my little man w/ replacing that lost flora and have a better immune system?
Any probiotic brand recommendations? I currently take Schiff. What should I look for in a probiotic? Strep B was an issue with number 1, fortunately she didn't seem affected by the IV antibotics.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Megan. Yes, mastitis that keeps coming back is a common result of IV antibiotics for GBS.
You must've read Mia's birth story! We received the GBS antibiotic :-. I took lots of probiotics, immunoglobulins and Vitamin C for a long time after she was born, especially because I got mastitis 3x! I never thought to give HER something though…