Question about GBS treatment options - Page 2

[trimestersdoula]

Do you know why people get it? I am not being sarcastic. I really want to know. Also is there any other way you could keep from getting it, other than yet another vax?

[trimestersdoula]

Originally Posted by nashvillemidwife

I personally would rather see a vaccine for high risk babies than such widespread use of powerful antibiotics.

That is true. I have to agree with you there. I thought you were meaning for EVERYONE. It gives women a choice at least. Sorry I misunderstood you.

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by trimestersdoula

That is true. I have to agree with you there. I thought you were meaning for EVERYONE. It gives women a choice at least. Sorry I misunderstood you.

I don't see how a vaccine would work for early-onset (within 7 days of birth) sepsis though. Vaccines take time to create immunity. GBS sepsis generally presents within the first 6-72 hours.

[trimestersdoula]

Originally Posted by maxmama

I don't see how a vaccine would work for early-onset (within 7 days of birth) sepsis though. Vaccines take time to create immunity. GBS sepsis generally presents within the first 6-72 hours.

Good point. I never thought of that! Yeah, what good would it do??

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by trimestersdoula

Good point. I never thought of that! Yeah, what good would it do??

The vaccine they're currently developing is for mom, to prevent colonization, but personally I'd still probably go for the abx instead.

[trimestersdoula]

When they say "high risk" I am going to assume they are talking about women who "probably" have it and not that they actually do have it right? So they could be giving vaccinations to women that don't need it.

[nashvillemidwife]

But how many women are getting antibiotics that don't need it?

[trimestersdoula]

Yeah, I understand that, but why not find out for sure instead of just going by risk factor? I don't like vaccines for the most part. If they are "necessary" ok but I wouldn't get a vaccine if I was high risk "just in case"

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by trimestersdoula

Yeah, I understand that, but why not find out for sure instead of just going by risk factor? I don't like vaccines for the most part. If they are "necessary" ok but I wouldn't get a vaccine if I was high risk "just in case"

But when you talk about high risk for GBS sepsis, really you're talking about the baby: is it preterm, were membranes ruptured, was mom examined, did mom have a fever? These are all things you can't know far enough in advance to selectively vaccinate mom for "high risk"; either all moms would be vaccinated or we continue with the current abx prophylaxis.

[trimestersdoula]

Yeah, I am not really sure how the heck that would work at all.

[Ironica]

Furthermore, how do you vaccinate against something that the immune system doesn't recognize as pathological? The usual principle of vaccination is to trigger the body's natural immune response to a pathogen without introducing the live pathogen to the body (and therefore bypassing the illness), but GBS doesn't appear to trigger an immune response, and certainly not one strong enough to kick it out, in the people who are colonized.

[trimestersdoula]

Thanks So in otherwords a vaccine WILL NOT work, and it is just yet another, big fat waste of money!

[conniebonnie]

I do not know that it wouldnt work. (and i am not a supporter of vaccines- just curious how they would make it work, i mean, im sure they have at least taken into consideration all the points we just brought up.)
I think we will just have to wait and see.
Personally i am more excited about having an immediate answer test. Since one could test positive for gbs at 38 wks and be negative when delivering at 40. It would be much more helpful to be able to test while in labor, and then just use the washes instead of antibiotics

[nashvillemidwife]

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/art...?artid=1351092

"The rationale for GBS vaccine development is supported by the observation that the risk of neonatal infection is inversely proportional to the maternal amounts of specific antibodies to the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) antigen that surrounds GBS, the implication being that protective immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies are transferred from the mother to the baby through the placenta."