Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a type of bacteria normally found in the gastrointestinal and genital tracts. Sometimes other parts of the body become exposed to GBS resulting in infections including pneumonia, meningitis, skin and soft tissues infections, and sepsis. Anyone can get group B strep disease however it poses more serious complications in newborns and infants.
Newborns are at increased risk if the mother tested positive for GBS during pregnancy, develops a fever during labor, or has prolonged labor >18 hours between rupture of amniotic membranes (water bag) and infant delivery. Immunocompromised adults with diabetes, cancer, AIDS, or severe heart disease are also at a higher risk of severe disease if infected with GBS.
Group B Strep is NOT a sexually transmitted infection. It is also different from Group A Strep which causes “strep throat”.
During labor, GBS can be transmitted from the mother’s vagina or rectum to the newborn. Babies who become infected can present with early-onset or late-onset disease.
- Early-onset disease: the baby becomes sick during the 1st week of life, possibly during the first 12-48 hours.
- Late-onset disease: babies develop the disease between the 1st week and 3 months of life.
Symptoms include:
- Difficulty breathing resulting in cyanosis (blue skin color due to low oxygenation)
- Poor feeding
- Fever
- Prolonged irritability
- Lack of energy
Pregnant women get screened for GBS during prenatal OBGYN visits between 36 – 38 weeks of pregnancy. This is usually done by collecting a sample from the vagina or rectum using a swab which is then sent to the lab for culture.
Pregnant women who test positive for GBS during screening should receive penicillin (antibiotic) during labor (or an appropriate alternative if allergic to penicillin). In situations where a pregnant woman presents in labor and the GBS status is unknown, the physician may opt to give antibiotics without testing first for GBS if the patient previously tested positive for GBS, had a child with GBS disease, has a fever during labor, has gone into labor before 37 weeks, or more than 18 hours has elapsed since the rupture of membranes.
If the newborn develops GBS disease, your physician may require blood, spinal fluid, or urine samples, and a chest x-ray to make the diagnosis. The complications of GBS disease vary and may include miscarriages, preterm delivery, or stillbirth. Sepsis and pneumonia can be very deadly resulting in death.
About 1 in 4 pregnant women carry GBS in their body and for every 50 babies who develop GBS disease, 2-3 die from serious complications.
Currently, there are no vaccines to help prevent GBS disease in pregnant women and newborns. It is also ineffective to treat positive patients before labor as there is a chance of the bacteria growing back before delivery.
Patient awareness is key in reducing the spread of GBS to newborns. If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor about Group B Streptococcus. You can find additional information about GBS and women’s health on these websites: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).