How to Avoid Prenatal Group B Strep Infection

Group B Streptococcal (GBS) infections are caused by Streptococcus agalactiae. This bacterium is the most common cause of sepsis in newborns and also affects nonpregnant adults. Group B Streptococcus frequently colonizes the gastrointestinal tract and vagina of women, with carriage rates of the general population in the 5 to 40 percent range. The following steps will show how to prevent prenatal Group B Streptococcal infections.

Instructions

1. Stay current on the search for an effective vaccine for Group B Streptococcal infections. Investigative studies are ongoing, and the Food and Drug Administration has not approved any vaccines for use in the United States.

2. Test pregnant women routinely for Group B Streptococci during weeks 35 and 37 of pregnancy with a simple swab culture test. Those who test positive should have the risk to their fetus assessed. The following symptoms are considered: rupture of the membrane 18 hours or more before delivery, labor before 37 weeks of gestation, fever during labor, urinary tract infections caused by Group B Streptococcal during pregnancy and a previous baby with GBS.

3. Administer antibiotics such as penicillin intravenously to GBS-positive women with high-risk criteria at least 4 to 6 hours before delivery. A woman who has already had a Group B Streptococcal-infected baby should be given antibiotics when admitted to the hospital.

4. Use antibiotic prophylaxis in newborns. This national standard has significantly reduced Group B Streptococcal infections over the past decade.

5. Adhere to standard infection control practices to prevent Group B Streptococcal infections in adults. Most of these cases occur in hospitals, although case clustering is rare.