How Do You 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. 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. 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
