All pregnant women should know about group B strep, also called group B streptococcus or GBS. Group B strep is a common bacterial infection that is generally not serious in adults, but can be life-threatening to newborns.
Nearly 1 in 4 women carry GBS, which is most often found in a woman’s vagina and rectum. It’s possible to have GBS without showing any symptoms. If a pregnant woman has group B strep, she can pass it to her baby during childbirth.
Some women who have group B strep may have mild illnesses, such as bladder infections. But babies who have the bacteria are much more at risk. These newborns can get pneumonia, blood infection or meningitis (infection of the membranes surrounding the brain).
Most newborns have no long-lasting damage, but some may die from the infection. Some babies who develop meningitis suffer lasting damage to their body’s nervous system.
Preventing Group B Strep
Anyone can carry group B strep without having any symptoms. Food, water or things you touch do not spread the bacteria. Instead, GBS comes and goes naturally in the body.
But medical research is advancing every day. Scientists are working on a vaccine to prevent GBS infection in mothers and their babies. The vaccine would be given before or during pregnancy.
What You Can Do
Pregnant moms need to be screened for GBS at around 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all support this recommendation.
Earlier testing is less useful. This is because even if group B strep is found and treated well before childbirth, GBS grows so fast that it can come back by the time the woman is in labor.
It’s most important to treat a pregnant mom who has the infection just before she goes into labor. Doing so reduces her chances of passing the bacteria to her new baby during childbirth.
Testing for group B strep is simple and painless. Your provider swabs your vagina and rectum for a sample, which is then sent to the laboratory. Test results for group B strep are usually available in 24 to 48 hours.
Women who test positive for GBS are treated. Other women at risk of the infection may also be treated. For example, a woman who did not have the screening test may be treated just in case she has the bacteria.
Group B strep is usually treated with antibiotics, such as penicillin. The woman receives the medicine through an IV (directly into the vein) just before or during labor.
It’s important to try and prevent a newborn from getting group B strep. But if a baby does become infected, he is treated with antibiotics and cared for by the health provider.
For more information, read the March of Dimes fact sheet.
The CDC has a special Web site devoted to group B strep.
December 2008
