Group B Strep in Pregnancy: Evidence for Antibiotics and Alternatives

What is Group B Strep?

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a type of bacteria that can cause illness in people of all ages. In newborns, GBS is a major cause of meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), pneumonia (infection of the lungs), and sepsis (infection of the blood) (CDC 1996; CDC 2005; CDC 2009).

Group B strep lives in the intestines and migrates down to the rectum, vagina, and urinary tract. All around the world, anywhere from 10-30% of pregnant women are “colonized” with or carry GBS in their bodies (Johri et al. 2006). Using a swab of the rectum and vagina, women can test positive for GBS temporarily, on-and-off, or persistently (CDC 2010).

Being colonized with GBS does not mean that a woman will develop a GBS infection. Most women with GBS do not have any GBS infections or symptoms. However, GBS can cause urinary tract infections, pre-term birth, and GBS infections in the newborn (Valkenburg-van den Berg et al. 2009; CDC 2010).

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/groupbstrep/