GBS Answers - Meridian Bioscience, Inc.

4 Facts
About Group B Strep
Group B Strep is the
most common cause
of life-threatening
infections in newborns,
so why haven’t
you heard of it?
Understand these
four important facts
about these naturallyoccurring
bacteria.
1
Not all newborns
exposed to GBS
become infected
One in four pregnant women carry
Group B Streptococcus (Group B Strep
or GBS) in their digestive tract and birth
canal, but not all newborns exposed
to GBS are infected. Many Moms
wonder why. Why are some babies just
fine while others suffer from potentially
deadly complications at the hands of the
infection?
Dr. Carol J. Baker, professor of pediatrics
at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston
explains that there are many potential
answers to this question, but the main
reason seems to be that some women
have developed a natural immunity to
GBS. “Your baby doesn’t get tetanus
if you had the vaccine because your
protection goes through the placenta to
keep the baby well until he or she starts
getting vaccinated,” she explains. “This
analogy explains what happens with
GBS. We don’t know which women are
protected, but some have developed
immunity naturally and they pass that
along to the baby.”
2
Although the
bacteria is usually
harmless to Moms,
it can cause deadly
infections in babies
Although the naturally occurring bacteria
is usually harmless to the mother, it is the
most common cause of life-threatening
infections in newborns, according to
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). GBS can cause
sepsis, pneumonia or even meningitis.
It can also cause babies to be stillborn,
miscarried or so sick they die after birth.
3
Women who
test positive for
GBS usually have no
symptoms.
A woman who tests positive for GBS
usually does not have any symptoms,
thus the importance of routine testing.
“The good news is, GBS disease is highly
preventable,” explains Marti Perhach,
executive director, CEO and co-founder
of Group B Strep International. She lost
her baby girl to GBS in 1998.
“If the mom is tested between weeks 35
and 37, as recommended by CDC, and
found to be positive, she should be given
IV antibiotics for GBS during labor and
delivery. However, my daughter, Rose,
was stillborn fullterm because GBS had
already infected her amniotic fluid and
lungs before I could get my IV antibiotics.”
4
Group B Strep is
different than strep
throat and does not
only affect pregnant
women.
GBS is not strep throat, which is caused
by group A strep, and it can affect
people of all ages, especially those with
compromised immune systems.
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