Index
Streptococcus is a bacterium that is normally found in the mouth region , which is why transmission occurs naturally through kissing, sharing objects such as cutlery and glasses. For being part of the mouth, it facilitates the accommodation in our intestines and in the respiratory system and they are responsible for most of the diseases from dental caries to pneumonia.
Streptococcus B
This is because there are several types of streptococcus and each one responsible for a type of disease. In this case, we will talk about group B streptococcus, which is investigated in pregnancy through the swab examination .
Streptococcus B tends to colonize in female vaginal, intestinal and rectal regions . It does not present risks to healthy people, but it can cause complications in the transmission from mother to child at the time of birth. For this reason, the importance of the examination before delivery, being a method of prevention and protection for the baby.
Contrary to what most believe, streptococcus B is not a sexually transmitted disease. The vaginal area is usually contaminated by bacteria displaced from the intestine itself and from the rectal region, so do not be alarmed if your test result is positive.
Did the Exam give a positive result?
The examination is carried out in a simple way in the office, with samples from the vagina and anus being collected with the help of equipment similar to a cotton swab, which is why it got the popular name of “cotton swab examination”. The exam is requested between 35 and 37 weeks of gestation, when it is closest to birth.
Treatment
The result will come out after a few days and if so, no treatment will be recommended, neither the basis of vaginal ointments nor medicines. The medication will be administered a few hours before delivery, usually on average 4 hours before , directly at the maternity hospital. The medicine used to fight is the antibiotic and must be introduced through the vein, so that its effectiveness is immediate.
Prenatal Card
The result of the exam must be included in the prenatal card that will be requested at the maternity hospital. If you are not provided with documents, you should inform the hospital about the result of the streptococcus test so that the procedure can be performed as soon as possible. In the case of cesarean section , medication is not used, since the baby will not pass through the vaginal canal and will not be exposed to the risk of contamination.
If not properly treated before delivery and the baby may become contaminated, you may suffer from neonatal sepsis, which is a very dangerous blood infection that can lead to death.
Other problems aggravating the lack of care are pneumonia and meningitis, which, by attacking in the first weeks of life, can bring serious risks. The most dangerous form of contagion is for premature babies, who are even more at risk and may have severe sequelae.
See also: Cotton swab and cervix test – Video
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
