Infection in newborn babies (group B streptococcus)

Preventing group B streptococcus infections in newborn babies

About 1 in 4 American women carry group B streptococcus

bacteria
Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.

bacteria (a kind of germ). In some pregnant women the bacteria can cause a bladder or womb

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.

infection. But most women don't have any problems.

During birth group B strep can spread from the mother to the baby. Usually this doesn't cause the baby harm. But in some babies, group B strep can cause a serious infection.

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Group B strep disease: frequently asked questions.
April 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/groupBstrep (accessed on 4 February 2009).

¹ That's why in the United States, all pregnant women are tested between the 35th and 37th week of pregnancy to see if they have group B strep.

Your doctor will use a small swab to take a sample of cells from your

vagina
This is the passage from a woman's womb (uterus) to the outside of her body.

vagina and

rectum
The rectum is the last six to eight inches of the large intestine, ending with the anus (where you empty your bowels).

rectum. This usually doesn't hurt. If your test shows that you're carrying group B strep, you'll be given

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 into your

veins
Veins are blood vessels that carry blood back to your heart after your blood has delivered oxygen and food to the tissues.

vein (also called IV or

intravenous infusion
When a medicine or a fluid, such as blood, is fed directly into a vein, it's called an intravenous infusion (or IV). To give you an intravenous infusion, a nurse, technician or a doctor places a narrow plastic tube into a vein (usually in your arm) using a needle. The needle is then removed and the fluid is infused (or dripped) through the tube into the vein.

intravenous infusion) during labor. Antibiotics are drugs that kill bacteria. So the aim of this treatment is to prevent group B strep passing on from you to your baby.

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Group B strep disease: frequently asked questions.
April 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/groupBstrep (accessed on 4 February 2009).

Source:
Schrag SD, Gorwitz R, Fultz-Butts K, et al.
Prevention of perinatal group B streptococcal disease: revised guidelines from CDC.
MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2002; 51: 1-22.

If the bacteria have spread to your baby before you're given antibiotic treatment during labor, the treatment can't prevent your baby from getting an infection. Also, this treatment doesn't prevent late-onset group B strep infections (those that appear after your baby is seven days old).

Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Group B strep disease: frequently asked questions.
April 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/groupBstrep (accessed on 4 February 2009).

Women who are more at risk of passing on group B strep to their babies are always given antibiotics during labor. You're more at risk of passing on the infection if:

Source:
Turow J, Spitzer AR.
Group B streptococcal infection early onset disease controversies in prevention guidelines, and management strategies for the neonate.
Clinical Pediatrics. 2000; 39: 317-326.

You've had a baby with a group B strep infection before.
You get an infection in your

urinary tract infection
A urinary tract infection (UTI) happens when bacteria invade the walls of your urinary tract, which includes your kidneys, bladder and urethra. An uncomplicated UTI is one that involves your bladder and urethra, but not your kidneys. A complicated UTI involves your kidneys and can be harder to treat. Another name for kidney infection is pyelonephritis.

urinary tract while you're pregnant. (The urinary tract is the part of your body that gets rid of urine. It includes your

kidney
Your kidneys are organs that filter your blood to make urine. You have two of them, on either side of your abdominal cavity, toward your back.

kidneys, your

bladder
Your bladder is the hollow organ at the top of your pelvis that stores urine. It is similar to a balloon, only with stronger walls. It fills up with urine until you go to the bathroom.

bladder, and the tube that empties your bladder, called the

urethra
Your urethra is the tube that carries urine from your bladder out of your body. In a man, the urethra runs through the inside of the penis. In a woman, the urethra is shorter, and opens onto the top of the vagina.

urethra).
You go into labor before the end of the 37th week of pregnancy.
Your waters break 18 hours or more before you give birth.
You get a fever during labor.

Sometimes doctors think that the antibiotic treatment you were given during labor might not have worked. If this happens and your baby has symptoms of an infection, he or she will be treated right away. But if your baby doesn't have symptoms of an infection your doctor will probably:

Source:
Carlough MC, Crowell K, Richard N.
Clinical inquiries: how should we manage infants at risk for group B streptococcal disease?
Journal of Family Practice. 2003; 51: 406, 408-409.

⁴

Make sure your baby is carefully watched for symptoms of infection

Decide that your baby should be tested for group B strep infection anyway and possibly even treated. To read more, see What treatments work for infection in newborn babies.

Sources for the information on this page:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Group B strep disease: frequently asked questions.April 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/groupBstrep (accessed on 4 February 2009).

Schrag SD, Gorwitz R, Fultz-Butts K, et al.Prevention of perinatal group B streptococcal disease: revised guidelines from CDC.MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2002; 51: 1-22.

Turow J, Spitzer AR.Group B streptococcal infection early onset disease controversies in prevention guidelines, and management strategies for the neonate.Clinical Pediatrics. 2000; 39: 317-326.

Carlough MC, Crowell K, Richard N.Clinical inquiries: how should we manage infants at risk for group B streptococcal disease?Journal of Family Practice. 2003; 51: 406, 408-409.

This information was last updated on Feb 05, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
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