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infection
You get an infection when viruses, bacteria, fungi or other tiny organisms get into your body. These bugs are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope. For example, an infection in your airways causes the common cold. And an infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot.

 

 

 

 

 

infections in newborn babies are caused by bacteria called group B streptococcus (also called group B strep or GBS).

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Group B strep disease: frequently asked questions.
April 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/general/gen_public_faq.htm (accessed on 3 February 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

¹ Group B strep can live in your body without causing any problems. But if these bacteria spread from a mother to her baby during birth they can cause serious illness such as:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Group B strep disease: frequently asked questions.
April 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/general/gen_public_faq.htm (accessed on 3 February 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

¹

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Preventing group B streptococcus (GBS) infection in newborn babies: information for you.
January 2007. Available at http://www.rcog.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1400 (accessed on 3 February 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

²

You may also hear group B strep infections called strep B infections and beta strep infections or beta strep disease. Although adults can get group B strep infections, newborn babies are much more likely to get them.

There are two main types of group B strep infection in newborn babies.

If your baby gets group B strep infection in the first seven days of life, it's called early-onset infection. Doctors think that babies who get an infection soon after they are born breathed in fluid that contained group B strep during labor.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Shet A, Ferrieri P.
Neonatal and maternal group B streptococcal infections: a comprehensive review.
Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2004; 120: 141-150.

 

 

 

 

 

³ Early-onset group B strep infection in newborn babies can be prevented by giving women

 

 

 

 

 

antibiotics
These medications are used to help your immune system fight infection. There are a number of different types of antibiotics that work in different ways to get rid of bacteria, parasites and other infectious agents. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.

 

 

 

 

 

antibiotics during labor. The antibiotics kill the bacteria before they can be passed on to the baby. To learn more see Preventing group B streptococcus infections in newborn babies.

If your baby gets group B strep infection between seven days and two months after birth, it's called late-onset infection.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Group B strep disease: frequently asked questions.
April 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/general/gen_public_faq.htm (accessed on 3 February 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

¹ Doctors aren't exactly sure how a baby gets late-onset infection. It seems that mothers probably pass group B strep to their babies through close physical contact.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Group B strep disease: frequently asked questions.
April 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep/general/gen_public_faq.htm (accessed on 3 February 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

¹

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Shet A, Ferrieri P.
Neonatal and maternal group B streptococcal infections: a comprehensive review.
Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2004; 120: 141-150.

 

 

 

 

 

³ Giving women antibiotics during labor doesn't prevent babies from getting late-onset infections.

Here we look at preventing and treating group B strep infections that babies can get in the first week of their life (early-onset infections).

Certain things make it more likely that your baby will get a group B strep infection soon after birth. These are called risk factors. If you have a risk factor it doesn't mean your baby will definitely get an infection. But the chance of your baby getting an infection is greater than that of another baby whose mother doesn't have any risk factors.

Your baby is more likely to get early-onset group B strep infection if:

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Zaleznik DF, Rench MA, Hillier S, et al.
Invasive disease due to group B streptococcus in pregnant women and neonates from diverse population groups.
Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2000; 30: 276-281.

 

 

 

 

 

⁴

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Schuchat A, Zywicki SS, Dinsmoor MJ, et al.
Risk factors and opportunities for prevention of early-onset neonatal sepsis: a multicenter case-control study.
Pediatrics. 2000; 105: 21-26.

 

 

 

 

 

⁵

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Benitz WE, Gould JB, Druzin ML.
Risk factors for early-onset group B streptococcal sepsis: estimation of odds ratios by critical literature review.
Pediatrics. 1999; 103: 77.

 

 

 

 

 

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