Infection, group B strep
Women with vaginal group B strep can transmit it to their infant before birth, or after the membranes are ruptured, or during the delivery. These babies have a 1/2-1% chance of contracting the early-onset type of infection. The risk of infection rises with premature infants, infants born after the amniotic membranes have ruptured for more than 18 hours, and infants whose mothers had fever or evidence of infection of the uterus lining and or urinary tract during labor and delivery.
With infants being discharged home today in less than 24 hours, there is growing pressure to culture all women during pregnancy to determine who may be carrying group B step (without having symptoms themselves). Antibiotic treatment can be considered for the culture-positive women BEFORE DELIVERY. A positive culture permits the infant’s doctor to be especially alert to early signs of problems and watch the infant for an extra day or two.
Group B strep infection of the newborn, once diagnosed, is treated aggressively with antibiotics and care of the infant in a Neonatal ICU, but the disease still carries a significant mortality rate. Prevention and early detection are critically important.
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