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What is group B strep and how is it spread?
What are the symptoms of group B strep in women?
Why do I need to know about group B strep when I am pregnant?
How can I protect my unborn baby from group B strep?
For more information
What is group B strep and how is it spread?
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.
What are the symptoms of group B strep in women?
Most pregnant women have no symptoms when they are carriers for
group B strep bacteria. Sometimes, group B strep can cause bladder
infections during pregnancy, or infections in the womb during labor
or after delivery.
Why do I need to know about group B strep when I am pregnant?
Group B strep can be passed from a mother to her baby during
childbirth.
Group B strep 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 group B strep infection.
How can I protect my unborn baby from group B strep?
Before you go into labor:
- Ask your doctor for a GBS test when you are 35 to 37 weeks
pregnant (9th month)
- If you are allergic to penicillin or other antibiotics, make sure
to tell your doctor or nurse about any reactions you have had
- If your test shows that you carry the bacteria, talk with your
doctor about a plan for labor
- Continue your regular check-ups, and always call your doctor or
nurse if you have any problems
When your water breaks or when you go into labor:
If you have not had your GBS test when labor starts, remind the
staff that you do not know your GBS status.
If you are a GBS carrier:
- Go to the hospital. The antibiotics work best if you get them at
least 4 hours before you deliver
- Tell the labor and delivery staff at the hospital that you are a
group B strep carrier
- Speak up if you are allergic to penicillin
- Expect to get IV antibiotics (medicine through the vein) during
labor
- It is fine to breastfeed after your baby is born
For more information
CDC group B strep home page
Brochure: “Are You Pregnant? Protect your baby from group B strep”:
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Date: August 16, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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