The number of women who are dying of infection in pregnancy and childbirth is rising sharply in UK. Concerns over Group A Streptococcal disease (GAS) have been raised.
The number of women who are dying of infection in pregnancy and childbirth
is rising sharply in UK. Concerns over Group A Streptococcal disease (GAS) have
been raised. Death rates due to streptococcal infections have particularly
risen by 1/3 since 2005. Several deaths could be prevented if the infections
were diagnosed early and treated with antibiotics. This report, titled Saving
Mother's Lives, has been published by Experts at the Centre for Maternal and
Child Enquiries (CMACE). It has issued a warning to health expert to be alert
about the signs of GAS.
The most common type of GAS infections are- sore throat (strep throat) and minor
skin infections like impetigo (a skin condition in children). Pregnant women or
newly delivered moms are particularly vulnerable to a severe form of the
infection, which can be fatal. GAS infections pose a more serious problem if
the bacteria penetrate further in the body, like the blood or into a deeper layer
of skin. The report states that General Practitioners, midwives and nurses
sometimes missed out the initial symptoms of this deadly bug. Sometimes, women
did not realize how ill they were and did not bother to seek help.
Experts have asked the women to be
vigilant about the symptoms of the bug and ensure that they wash their hands at
frequent intervals to prevent the spread of this infection.
Source-Medindia