About Group-B Strep
Group-B strep (GBS) is a bacterium that
is the most common cause of life-threatening
infections in newborns. Of the 8,000 babies
born in the United States with GBS disease,
nearly 400 will die. Many of those who survive
have permanent brain damage, resulting in
hearing or vision loss, learning disabilities,
or cerebral palsy.
If you believe your child’s injuries
from Group-B strep could have been prevented,
please contact the
medical negligence lawyers of Kenneth M.
Sigelman & Associates .
How do babies acquire GBS?
GBS is found in the vagina and/or lower
intestine of 10 to 35 percent of all healthy
adult women. Normally, GBS does not cause
active infection, and is not contagious.
However, during labor and delivery, babies
can be exposed to GBS in several different
ways. One means of exposure is bacteria
traveling upward from the mother's vagina
into the uterus once the membranes (bag
of waters) rupture. In addition, babies
can be exposed to GBS while passing down
through the birth canal. The bacteria can
be swallowed or inhaled by the baby during
this time.
In some of these babies, the GBS gets into
the bloodstream, which can result in sepsis
(overwhelming infection throughout the body),
pneumonia, or meningitis, potentially leading
to lifelong disability or, in some cases,
death.
Approximately 75 percent of cases of GBS
disease in newborns occur during the first
week of life, and most appear within a few
hours after birth. This is referred to as
"early onset" disease. Although
premature babies are at higher risk for
GBS disease and, if infected, are at higher
risk for serious long term complications
or death, full term babies account for 70
to 75 percent of GBS disease in newborns.
Some infants develop GBS one week to several
months after birth. This is referred to
as "late onset" disease. Approximately
one-half of these cases are related to the
baby's mother being colonized with GBS.
The source of GBS in the remaining one-half
of late onset disease is unknown.
If you believe your child’s injuries
from Group-B strep could have been prevented,
please contact the
medical negligence attorneys of Kenneth
M. Sigelman & Associates .
How is GBS disease diagnosed and treated?
GBS disease must be considered in any
newborn baby who demonstrates signs or symptoms
of infection at birth or during the first
week of life. These signs or symptoms may
include fever, breathing difficulties, grunting
sounds, increased (stiff or decreased) limp,
muscle tone, seizures, or markedly unusual
behavior.
If any of those are present, blood tests
and cultures of bodily fluids such as urine,
sputum, or cerebrospinal fluid are performed
to check for the presence of GBS. It generally
takes several days to obtain the final results
of these tests. However, intravenous antibiotics
would routinely be started immediately once
GBS disease is suspected.
If you believe your child’s injuries
from Group-B strep could have been prevented,
please contact the
medical negligence lawyers of Kenneth M.
Sigelman & Associates .
Can GBS in newborns be prevented?
Research studies have shown that 70 to
80 percent of cases of GBS disease in newborns
can be prevented by administration of intravenous
antibiotics to the mother at the onset of
labor in those cases in which one or more
risk factors are present. These include
the following:
- Positive culture of the mother for GBS
colonization at 35 to 37 weeks
- Previous baby with GBS disease
- Urinary tract infection due to GBS
- Fever (temperature higher than 100.4
degrees F) during labor
- Rupture of membranes (breaking of the
bag of waters) 18 hours or more before
delivery
- Labor or rupture of membranes before
37 weeks
If one or more of the risk factors listed
above are identified, intravenous antibiotics
should be offered to the mother as early
in labor as possible. It is medically appropriate
to perform cultures of the mother's vagina
and rectum between 35 and 37 weeks to check
for GBS colonization. If a culture has not
been done, or the results are not known,
antibiotics should still be offered to the
mother if her membranes rupture 18 hours
or more before delivery, or if she has the
onset of labor and/or rupture of membranes
before 37 weeks. The antibiotics most commonly
given are Penicillin or Ampicillin.
If you believe your child’s injuries
from Group-B strep could have been prevented,
please contact the
medical negligence attorneys of Kenneth
M. Sigelman & Associates .
What are the long-term effects of GBS disease?
A child with GBS disease may suffer permanent
brain damage, leading to hearing or vision
problems, learning disabilities, or motor
deficits. For a more detailed discussion,
visit our page on cerebral palsy.
What resources are available to
help children with GBS disease and their
families?
The web sites listed below contain information
which may be useful to people interested
in learning more about GBS disease, including
resources which are available to help children
with GBS disease and their families. Kenneth
M. Sigelman & Associates is not affiliated
with any of these other sites, and cannot
be responsible for content. Please feel
free to contact us if you are aware of other
helpful links to include in this site.
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