A few weeks before my delivery, I sat in my doctor’s office, swinging my swollen feet off the end of the examination table while the doctor quizzed the new intern. “Now last week we gave this patient a test for Group B Strep. Where do we usually test for this? In the mouth?” the doctor asked. The intern paused for a moment and I tried to hold back laughter. Obviously I knew where the test had been performed, and it was definitely not in my mouth. Group B Strep is not the same as Group A, which is the strain … Continue reading →

In late pregnancy, your health care provider will likely perform a test for group B strep. The test is a simple swab that is generally done in the last month of pregnancy. The swab is testing for the presence of group B strep in the vagina. If you get a positive test result, you are not alone. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that between fifteen and forty percent of all women carry group B strep. It is generally without symptoms or problems, except during birth. It is possible for pregnant women to test negative in one pregnancy, positive in … Continue reading →

You may have never heard of cytomegalovirus, or CMV, but it is the most common virus transmitted from mother to child in the United States. Although most babies don’t suffer lasting effects, about 1 in 750 will develop permanent disabilities due to the virus. CMV is a member of the herpes family of viruses. The virus is passed by bodily fluids, including blood, saliva and even breastmilk after the baby is born. Approximately one third of women infected with the virus will pass it to their unborn children. About 8,000 babies born each year suffer from disabilities related to CMV … Continue reading →