Pregnancy Risk: Group B Strep Infection

Expecting a baby is an exciting time for many women. However, when the mother-to-be suffers from health complications, the pregnancy and impeding labor and delivery can seem quite stressful. For some women, the health risks come in the form of an infection during pregnancy that is often difficult to treat and may, in some cases, place the newborn at risk during the birthing process.

An infection known as Group B streptococcus (GBS) is common among pregnant women. In fact, nearly 30 percent of all women are known to carry some strain of GBS vaginally or anorectally. In many cases, this type of infection is not transmitted to the newborn during birth.

When the newborn is placed at risk for GBS infection, there is a significant degree of health complications that may ensue. Complications seen in newborns that are exposed to GBS may include sepsis, meningitis and even pneumonia. In fact, when infected, the mortality rate of newborns with GBS is as high as 20 percent.

To offset this risk, many obstetricians are now placing women, at risk for GBS, on antibiotic therapy beginning six weeks prior to the due date. In most cases, unless the mother is allergic, penicillin is the choice of antibiotic therapy and, often, is administered by IV.

When allergy to penicillin is of concern, pregnant women with GBS may use alternate forms of antibiotic therapy including clindamycin, erythromycin and cefazolin. The dosing and timing of each of these antibiotic therapies will vary from that of penicillin.

If you give birth to an infant, and your obstetrician is not aware of your GBS infection status, there are some health considerations that will be made for your newborn. However, at no point is the use of antibiotics recommended at this early stage of life. Instead, monitoring your newborn, closely, in the first 24 hours of birth is the best option as, in most cases, if your newborn is infected with the GBS infection, symptoms will appear within this timeframe.