Hey there! So, let’s talk about Group B Strep and how it affects pregnancy. Basically, Group B Streptococcus (or GBS for short) is a type of bacteria that can be found in different parts of the body, like the urinary tract, digestive system, and reproductive tracts. Most people who have it don’t even know it because it doesn’t usually cause any problems.
However, in pregnant women, GBS can cause infections in areas like the urinary tract, placenta, womb, and amniotic fluid. And even if the mom doesn’t have any symptoms, she can pass the infection to her baby during labor and delivery.
Now, if a woman with GBS is treated with antibiotics during labor, most of the time, her baby won’t have any problems. But some babies can get really sick from GBS, especially premature babies because their bodies and immune systems aren’t fully developed.
There are two types of GBS disease in babies: early-onset and late-onset infections. Early-onset infections happen during the first week of life, and babies often show symptoms within 24 hours of birth. Late-onset infections, on the other hand, develop weeks to months after birth, and we don’t really understand them that well.
So, what are the signs and symptoms of GBS disease in babies? Well, newborns and infants with GBS disease might have a fever, feeding and breathing problems, irritability, inactivity or limpness, and trouble keeping a healthy body temperature. Babies with GBS disease can develop serious problems like pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis (which is an infection of the fluid and lining around the brain). Meningitis is more common with late-onset GBS disease and can cause hearing loss, vision loss, learning disabilities, seizures, and even death.
To diagnose GBS, pregnant women are usually tested between weeks 35 and 37 of pregnancy with a simple and painless culture that involves using a large cotton swab to collect samples from the vagina and rectum. If the test finds GBS, the woman is said to be “GBS-positive,” which means she has the bacteria in her body, but not necessarily that she or her baby will become sick from it.
If a woman is GBS-positive, doctors will give her antibiotics during labor to kill the bacteria. It’s best for a woman to get antibiotics for at least 4 hours before delivery to prevent the spread of GBS to the baby. Doctors might also give antibiotics during labor to a pregnant woman if she goes into labor prematurely, before being tested for GBS, hasn’t been tested for GBS and her water breaks 18 or more hours before delivery, has a fever during labor, had a GBS bladder infection during the pregnancy, or had a baby before with GBS disease.
Unfortunately, no method has been found to prevent late-onset GBS disease, but researchers are working on developing a vaccine to prevent GBS infection.
So, if you’re pregnant, make sure you get tested for GBS during each pregnancy, and if you’re GBS-positive and start to go into labor, head to the hospital so you can get antibiotics for at least 4 hours before delivery to protect your baby against early-onset GBS disease.