Group B Streptococcus (Group B Strep) and Pregnancy

Group B strep (GBS) is a type of bacteria that is often found in the vagina and rectum of healthy women. In the United States, about 1  in 4 women carry this type of bacteria. Women of any race or ethnicity can carry these bacteria. Being a carrier for these bacteria does not mean you have an infection. It only means that you have group B strep bacteria in your body.

Finding the GBS bacteria does not mean that you are not clean, and it does not mean that you have a sexually transmitted disease. The bacteria are not spread from food, sex, water, or anything that you might have come into contact with. They can come and go naturally in the body.

GBS can be passed from a mother to her baby during childbirth.

GBS is a leading cause of life-threatening infections in newborns, including pneumonia (lung infection), sepsis (blood infection), meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), and other problems. Sadly, many infants can die or have serious long-term effects from a GBS infection.

 

Symptoms

Most pregnant women have no symptoms when they are carriers for GBS. Sometimes, GBS can cause bladder infections during pregnancy or infections in the womb during labor or after delivery.

 

Action Steps

Before going into labor, a pregnant woman should:

• Ask the doctor for a GBS test when she is 35 to 37 weeks pregnant (9th month).
  
  
• If the GBS test shows that she carries the bacteria, talk with the doctor about a plan for labor.
  
• Continue regular check-ups, and always call the doctor or nurse if there are any problems.
  
• Make sure to tell the doctor or nurse about any allergies to penicillin or other antibiotics.

 

When a pregnant woman’s water breaks or when she goes into labor:

• If she has not had a GBS test when labor starts, remind the labor and delivery staff at the hospital that she does not know her GBS status.
  
• If she is a GBS carrier:
  
  • Go to the hospital. The antibiotics work best when the person gets them at least 4 hours before delivery.
  • Tell the labor and delivery staff at the hospital that she is a GBS carrier.
  • Tell the labor and delivery staff at the hospital about any allergies to penicillin or other antibiotics.
  • Expect to get IV antibiotics (medicine through the vein) during labor.
  • It is fine to breastfeed after the baby is born.