I know this is off topic, but here we go.

Group B Strep is the UK's most common cause of serious infection in newborn babies, causing septicaemia (infection of the blood), pneumonia and meningitis.  Most of these infections could be prevented and, in elsewhere in the world, are.  In countries which tell pregnant women about group B Strep and test them late in pregnancy, the incidence of these horrible infections has plummeted.  In the UK, it's rising.

The petition is calling on the Government to  ensure that: every woman is routinely given accurate information about GBS during antenatal care; every low-risk woman is offered a sensitive test for GBS, ideally at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy; and every woman whose baby is at higher risk of developing GBS infection is offered antibiotics in labour.

Such prevention strategies massively reduce GBS infection in newborn babies (in the USA by almost 80%) yet the UK incidence is up by more than 16% since 2003.

Please check it out – you can read more about the petition at http://www.gbss.org.uk/epetition or, if you've read enough and want to sign, go to http://epetitions.direct.gov.u…..tions/4854.  You won't get any spam or any other emails about this, unless you ask for them.

For more information about group B Strep, visit Group B Strep Support's website at http://www.gbss.org.uk