Sometime during the last month of your pregnancy you will be tested for Group B Strep. About a quarter of all pregnant women are carriers of this bacteria. The majority are unaware of their positive status prior to the test. The test for Group B Strep is a simple swabbing of the vaginal and rectal areas.
Group B Strep occurs naturally in men and women. It is not sexually transmitted, but can be passed from mother to baby during delivery. The baby can be exposed to the bacteria from either a vaginal or a c section delivery.
If you test positive for Group B Strep, you will be given antibiotics during labor. These are given through an IV and are effective at helping prevent the bacteria from being transmitted to the baby. When treated, the majority of newborns do not become infected. Without treatment, they are at risk of contracting the bacteria during the birth.
Group B Strep can be very dangerous to a newborn baby. It is the most common cause of infection and meningitis in new babies. There are two types of infection, early and late infection. Early infection is more dangerous and signs are seen at just a few hours to a few days old. Later infection can sometimes not be seen for a week to a few weeks after the birth.
Group B Strep can cause inflammation of the lungs or brain. The bacteria can also cause infection in the blood stream or meningitis. If infected during the birth, the baby can be treated with antibiotics. The bacteria can be fatal in between five and fifteen percent of infected newborns.
With treatment, most babies will recover from a Group B Strep infection. The best way to protect the baby is to be tested during pregnancy. This way, the mother can receive antibiotics and prevent the baby from getting sick in the first place. This is much easier than trying to heal a sick baby after infection has occurred.