Infant Infection
Health
Mr Andrew MacKinlay (Thurrock, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about measures being taken to reduce the risk of babies being infected by Group B streptococcus; and if he will make a statement.
Dr Stephen Ladyman (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Health; South Thanet, Labour)
The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) makes recommendations to Ministers on all aspects of screening programmes. The NSC has advised that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that routine screening of all pregnant women in the United Kingdom and treating those carrying Group B Streptococcus with intravenous antibiotics during labour would be beneficial. The NSC has however commissioned an assessment of the existing evidence on screening against the criteria used to assess potential screening programmes. At the adjournment debate on this issue on