Estimating incidence of GBS-associated neonatal encephalopathy

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Estimating incidence of Group B Streptococcus-associated neonatal encephalopathy

  • IRAS ID

    217242

  • Contact name

    Cally Tann

  • Contact email

    cally.tann@lshtm.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 1 months, 10 days

  • Research summary

    Considerable achievements have been made in reducing mortality of children under five years over the past twenty years. However, neonates as a proportion of child deaths have increased. GBS is an extremely important pathogen for newborn babies and their lives beyond the neonatal period as it is one of the most common causes of neonatal infection worldwide. The consequences of neonatal GBS disease both during and beyond the newborn period, and their co-morbidity with other important neonatal conditions such as prematurity and neonatal encephalopathy are important to understand to estimate the full burden of GBS disease.
    We are working with collaborators worldwide, coordinated by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to estimate the burden of Streptococcus agalactiae, or Group B Streptococcus (GBS) on maternal and newborn health. This project is critical in order to inform public health interventions, particularly GBS vaccine development. The project will examine GBS colonization prevalence (including serotypes where available) in pregnant women as well as incidence of GBS invasive disease in newborns and infants. It also aims to examine the incidence or risk of GBS-associated prematurity, neonatal encephalopathy and stillbirth as well as GBS disease in pregnant or postpartum women.
    I am leading an aspect of this work examining the incidence of GBS-associated neonatal encephalopathy. This study aims to estimate the incidence GBS invasive disease amongst term infants with neonatal encephalopathy on UK Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).
    This study aims to estimate the incidence GBS invasive disease amongst term infants with NE on UK Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). We will use anonymised, historical data held at UCLH and within the National Neonatal Research Database(NNRD) to do this.

  • REC name

    East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    17/EE/0018

  • Date of REC Opinion

    13 Jan 2017

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion