July is International Group B Strep awareness month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 200,000 newborns are infected with Group B Strep (GBS) every year in the United States.

What is Group B Strep?

Group B Strep (GBS) is a disease caused by the bacteria called group B streptococcus. It is often found in the vagina, rectum, and urinary tract of women. GBS is the leading cause of dangerous illnesses like sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis in newborns. A newborn can be exposed and become infected with GBS during birth and through breastfeeding.

Signs of GBS in newborns and infants include:

•Fever

•Breathing and feeding problems

•Irritability or fussiness

How can a mother prevent passing Group B Strep (GBS) to her newborn?

One in four pregnant women carry GBS. As a result, pregnant women should be tested for Group B Strep when they are 35 to 37 weeks pregnant. To find out if a woman is carrying GBS, a doctor will take a swab of a woman’s vagina and rectum. 

How do you get tested? And what’s the treatment?

If the test is positive the woman will be given antibiotics, such as penicillin or ampicillin, during labor and childbirth through an IV. Receiving this treatment can help keep a newborn from getting. The good news is that the treatment works- as there is only a 1 in 4,000 chance of delivering a baby with GBS when a pregnant woman receives antibiotics.

GBS is a disease that can have harmful effects on a newborn. To prevent the passing of GBS be sure to learn more about GBS on the CDC website.