Group B Strep Dangers

While group B strep (or GBS) is naturally found in the digestive tract and birth canal of many women, it can be deadly to unborn babies. July is Group B Strep Awareness Month.

The bacteria is present in one in four pregnant women who are said to carry GBS. According to Group B Strep International, babies can be infected with GBS before birth and up to 6 months after birth.

Mothers who carry GBS may have a miscarriage or a stillborn child. In some cases, babies infected with GBS while in the womb die after they’re born. Other babies who survive may suffer cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness or mental retardation. Group B Strep International says that even babies born through C-section can be at risk for GBS. However, not all babies will be affected when their mothers carry GBS.

What to do about GBS.

You may carry GBS without knowing it. Doctors test pregnant women via vaginal and rectal swabs at 35 to 37 weeks. Urine tests should also be performed. Some hospitals also perform DNA tests for GBS with results in less than an hour. The DNA test can be performed during labor.

Intravenous (IV) antibiotics should be started four hours before birth under certain conditions. Some women who have GBS in their urine may even be prescribed oral antibiotics during pregnancy.

To read about GBS risk factors and GBS symptoms in babies, visit Group B Strep International.

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