What causes GBS in pregnancy?

What causes GBS in pregnancy?

How do people get group B strep? In newborns, group B Streptococcus infection is acquired through direct contact with the bacteria while in the uterus or during birth; thus, the gestational bacterial infection is transmitted from the colonized mother to her newborn.

What is GB Strep in pregnancy?

Group B Streptococcus also known as Group B Strep Infection (GBS) is a type of bacterial infection that can be found in a pregnant woman’s vagina or rectum. This bacteria is normally found in the vagina and/or rectum of about 25% of all healthy, adult women. Women who test positive for GBS are said to be colonized.

What Can group B strep do to a baby?

Group B strep is the most common cause of serious infections in newborns. GBS infection can lead to meningitis, pneumonia, or sepsis. Meningitis is more common in a baby who has a GBS infection happen a week to several months after birth.

What happens if you have GBS while pregnant?

In pregnant women, GBS can cause infection of the urinary tract, placenta, womb, and amniotic fluid. Even if they haven’t had any symptoms of infection, pregnant women can pass the infection to their babies during labor and delivery.

What are symptoms of strep B in pregnancy?

Symptoms of group B streptococcal infection in pregnant women – fever, abdominal swelling, uterine tenderness. in newborns – shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, lethargy, low blood pressure. in babies aged between one week and a few months – fever, lethargy, irritability, poor feeding, seizures.

How do you get strep B while pregnant?

Like many bacteria, GBS may be passed from one person to another through skin-to-skin contact, for example, hand contact, kissing, close physical contact, etc. As GBS is often found in the vagina and rectum of colonised women, it can be passed through sexual contact.

How common is GBS in pregnancy?

About 1 in 4 pregnant women carry GBS bacteria in their body. Doctors should test pregnant woman for GBS bacteria when they are 36 through 37 weeks pregnant.

Can GBS go away during pregnancy?

Most babies who are treated for GBS do fine. But even with treatment, about 1 in 20 babies (5 percent) who have GBS die. Premature babies are more likely to die from GBS than full-term babies (born at 39 to 41 weeks of pregnancy). GBS infection may lead to health problems later in life.

What happens if you test positive for strep B while pregnant?

If you test positive for group B strep, it doesn’t mean that you’re ill or that your baby will be affected. It simply means you need treatment to prevent an infection in your baby. Talk with your health care provider about how you’ll incorporate your group B strep treatment into your labor plan.