October is Prenatal-onset GBS Disease Recognition Month

There are three types of GBS but prenatal-onset is often overlooked or not recognized, which discounts the thousands of women who have lost their child or their baby was born already sick because the baby was infected by GBS in the womb. We want to make sure that prenatal-onset is recognized and that more women and health care professionals become involved. 

​GBS can infect your baby even before your water breaks. GBS infections before birth are called “prenatal-onset.” Prenatal-onset GBS (POGBS) disease includes miscarriages and stillbirths caused by group B strep. Currently, babies who are born already infected with group B strep are classified as "early-onset" regardless of when the infection began. However, early-onset prevention strategies don't prevent GBS infections beginning before a woman's labor starts or her water breaks. ​GBS can also cause preterm labor and a woman's water to break too soon.

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We need your help to promote awareness that group B strep (GBS) can infect babies not only once born, but also before birth. Currently, most medical literature only acknowledges two types of GBS disease: early-onset (birth through the first week of life) and late-onset (after the first week of life to several months of age). However, pregnancy is also a distinct time when babies are susceptible to group B strep.

Our goal is for prenatal-onset group B strep disease to be widely recognized in order to promote research for its prevention and to #starttheGBSconversation to inform pregnant women worldwide about knowledge-based strategies to help protect their unborn babies from being miscarried, stillborn, born too soon, or born already sick due to group B strep.

Here's what we're doing:

• Presenting at the International Stillbirth Association's conference in Madrid, Spain October 4-6, 2019.
• Collaborating at the Perinatal Death Classification workshop in Madrid, Spain on October 3rd. This is crucial as currently perinatal death certificates are not routinely updated, so the actual burden of GBS disease isn't recognized appropriately for research priorities and governmental awareness campaigns. 
• Developing an information sheet for patients to share with their healthcare providers about much-needed knowledge to help recognize and possibly prevent GBS infections during pregnancy.
• Developing an informative guide to inform readers about the complex issues surrounding prenatal-onset GBS disease. ​

Here's how you can help:

• Share our brochure which includes what women can do to help protect their unborn babies from GBS. 
• Start a fundraising team!
• Make a donation!

We are grateful for your support! ​​

Important dates:
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month –  In 1988, US President Ronald Reagan declared October as a month to recognize the unique grief of bereaved parents in an effort to demonstrate support to the many families who have suffered such a tragic loss.
October 9-15 Baby Loss Awareness Week
October 15th Wave of Light 7pm local time for World Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Learn more about prenatal-onset

View the 2018 Virtual Symposium on Prenatal-onset Group B Strep Disease

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Show your support on Facebook by adding a profile picture frame! You can find it here on Facebook by searching for
​"group B strep"