VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
SUMMER 2006

Announcing the Formation of
Group B Strep International (GBSI)!

Group B Strep International (GBSI) was formed in April 2006 by John MacDonald and Marti Perhach who each lost a daughter to Group B strep (GBS). Both John and Pam MacDonald’s daughter, Hannah, and Chris and Marti Perhach’s daughter, Rose, were stillborn full-term.

John and Marti each began to promote GBS awareness and prevention on a national level throughout the United States.  Group B Strep International has been founded to expand the scope and the audience of this campaign.

Our mission is to promote international awareness and prevention of Group B Strep disease in babies before birth through early infancy.

Our goal is to be a central resource for GBS information in a variety of languages for both the general public and medical professionals.  The scope of our mission includes actively supporting the GBS awareness and prevention efforts of individuals and organizations on a community or national level.

What is Group B Strep?

GBS is a bacteria that is naturally found in the digestive tract and birth canal of 1 in 4 pregnant women. These women “carry” or  are “colonized” with GBS. However, GBS  can come and go at any time so each pregnancy can be different. Babies  can be “infected” by GBS before birth and up to 6 months of age because of their underdeveloped immune systems.

July is International Group B Strep Awareness Month

We need your help in promoting Group B Strep Awareness and Prevention. Each year in North America alone there are over 19,000 babies diagnosed with GBS disease — think of how many more babies are infected worldwide! Help us to promote Group B Strep Awareness and Prevention in your community.

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Join Our International GBS Awareness Campaign

You can help in our campaign to promote GBS awareness and prevention. Parents, friends, and healthcare professionals are needed to deliver our message about GBS. Here are just a few ways you can help:

Parents ~ Grandparents ~ Friends

• Share your GBS story on our website
• Distribute GBSI’s brochure in your community
• Call the health editor of your local newspaper to do an article on GBS
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper
• Wear GBS awareness ribbons (order here)
• Check our online shop for great GBS awareness items including postage stamps, buttons, magnets, and more
• Make GBS awareness ribbons (instructions here)
• Provide awareness materials for your health professionals
• Request awareness month recognition and GBS information on pregnancy boards
• Forward GBS news articles to GBSI
• Help GBSI raise funds to prevent GBS disease in babies around the world!

Fluent in languages other than English?

Help GBSI to translate our written materials and communications into other languages.

Healthcare Professionals

• Give GBSI’s brochure to your patients at their first prenatal visit
• Give GBSI’s tear sheet to your patients when they test GBS-positive
• Wear GBS awareness ribbons (order here)
• Wear “I test for GBS” stickers or buttons, especially in countries without universal screening (order here)
• Request awareness month recognition and GBS information in your workplace and on medical websites
• Forward GBS medical articles to GBSI

Please join our awareness campaign to help prevent Group B Strep disease in babies!

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