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Group B Strep Information
What is Group B Strep (GBS) and how does it affect newborns?
- Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the most common cause of serious
infection in newborns and a leading cause of newborn death in the
United States. Approximately 1600 babies in the United States get sick
from GBS infection every year, resulting in about 80 deaths.
- GBS is a normally occurring bacteria found in the genital and
intestinal tracts of adults and is usually not dangerous. It is not a
sexually transmitted disease.
- As many as one in every four pregnant women carries GBS and is at
risk of having a baby infected with GBS. Not every baby whose mother
carries GBS gets sick. One of every 100-200 babies whose mother
carries GBS develops signs of illness after birth.
- A baby is exposed to the bacteria as he/she passes through the birth
canal. GBS can also cross the placenta and infect an unborn baby,
causing premature labor and delivery, or more rarely, stillbirth, if
early in pregnancy.
- In newborns, GBS usually presents as a blood infection, pneumonia,
and sometimes, meningitis. About 90% of babies affected by GBS become
sick before their second day of life.
- One in 20 babies with GBS dies from this infection. Survivors may
have long-term problems such as lung damage, hearing or eye problems,
or brain damage.
How will I know if I carry GBS during my pregnancy?
- All pregnant women should be tested for GBS
- A simple low-cost test called a Group B Strep culture (swab) should
be done between the 35th and 37th weeks of pregnancy. Samples are
taken from the vagina and rectum with a swab. This will not hurt you
or your baby.
What happens if my healthcare provider determines that my baby is at
risk for GBS?
- You will receive at least two doses of IV (into the vein)
antibiotics during labor and before delivery. This protects most
babies from GBS infection.
How can I protect my baby from GBS?
- Talk to your healthcare provider about getting a GBS culture (swab)
when you are between 35 and 37 weeks of pregnancy (about one month
before your due date).
Get treated with antibiotics during labor:
- if your test results show that you carry GBS
- if you already gave birth to a baby who got sick from GBS
- if you had a urinary tract infection (bladder infection) caused by
GBS during this pregnancy
You should also get antibiotics during labor if you were NOT tested for
GBS and develop any of these risk factors:
- fever during labor
- early labor (before 37 weeks of pregnancy)
- if your water breaks and you don’t give birth for 18 hours or more
In spite of testing and antibiotic treatment, some babies still get
sick from GBS. These babies become sick very quickly and need
immediate treatment. Before you leave the hospital, you should receive
a list of the warning signs of illness and directions for how to get
help.
If you believe your newborn may be sick for any reason, call your
baby’s healthcare provider. Some symptoms to report immediately
include:
- Crying that won’t stop in spite of comfort measures OR
sleepiness that prevents the baby from waking up enough to eat
- Difficulty feeding or no interest in feeding
- Difficulty breathing, such as working hard to breathe or
making grunting noises with breathing
- Pale or blue or gray color of the skin or lips or around the
mouth (remember that blue hands and feet are normal in newborns)
- Fever OR low body temperature
The key to prevention is awareness. Women who know the risk of GBS to
their newborns become their own advocates for GBS prevention. Awareness
equals a healthy newborn.
More information and resources about Group B Strep are available from:
CDC website at
http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/
Group B Strep Association at
http://www.thejessecause.org/
The Children's GBS website at
www.seattlechildrens.org/our_services/stories/0404.asp
The Jesse Cause GBS Info Line at 1-877-HALTGBS
Links to external resources are provided as a public service and do
not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of Health.
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