Grouping B streptococcus, or group B strep, is a common blazon of leaner that lives in some adults and children. It is not usually dangerous, simply infection with this bacteria may be more serious in babies.

If a pregnant woman carries group B strep, the bacteria can sometimes pass to a babe during delivery, which can nowadays problems. Therefore, preventing group B strep infection is important for a salubrious delivery.

Grouping B strep infection causes a range of symptoms in both adults and babies. A dr. tin can diagnose and treat this infection. Read on to learn more.

A woman with a group b strep infection sits at her desk and feels her forehead. Share on Pinterest
A person with a GBS infection may feel fever, chills, and general fatigue.

A group B strep (GBS) infection occurs when there is an overgrowth of a bacteria called Streptococcus.

The leaner tin occur naturally in the intestines, urinary tract, and vagina of otherwise healthy adults. The bacteria are present in almost 25% of significant women, according to the Centers for Affliction Control and Prevention (CDC).

A GBS infection but occurs when these specific leaner become invasive and crusade disease. The bacteria can cause an infection well-nigh anywhere in the body, including in the blood.

One of the near significant risks for women with GBS in their system is passing the bacteria to the baby at nascence. According to the American Higher of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, women with GBS living in their bodies have approximately a 50% chance of transmitting GBS to the baby. GBS infection tin can be serious and even fatal in infants.

Many people with GBS may not know that these bacteria are living in their torso, and they might never experience any symptoms. They may only find out if they undergo a test in the doctor'southward function.

When the leaner cause an infection, the symptoms can vary among individuals and will depend on the part of the body where the infection occurs.

In adults, common symptoms include fever, chills, and general fatigue. GBS may also crusade other serious infections, including infections in the urinary tract, pharynx, or blood.

Serious symptoms include issues such as:

  • rapid breathing
  • difficulty breathing
  • chest pain
  • low alacrity or brain fog
  • swelling near an infected area
  • inability to use a musculus or articulation

Anyone experiencing serious symptoms such as these should seek immediate medical attention.

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There are frequently no signs of symptoms in pregnant women who carry group B strep.

Near pregnant women who carry grouping B strep will not show any signs or symptoms, even if they can pass it on to their child during labor.

However, GBS may cause pregnancy-related issues, including stillbirth, miscarriage, and preterm commitment.

As many other factors can likewise lead to these issues, most of the fourth dimension, doctors will not know the direct cause.

In newborns, the symptoms of GBS infection are much more than likely to become serious, although they can initially resemble those of other health issues.

Symptoms in newborns tin include:

  • fever
  • difficulty feeding or refusing to feed
  • irritability
  • difficulty waking upward
  • difficulty breathing
  • a blueish tint to the skin

Group B strep is specially dangerous in newborn babies and infants, who are nigh at risk of serious complications, such as meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis, which is an infection of the blood.

Babies can have long term complications from GBS, such as developmental disabilities and deafness or partial hearing loss. While the care for ill babies has improved, GBS can even so be fatal. The CDC gauge that four–half-dozen% of babies who develop GBS disease volition die.

If the disease occurs in the offset week of an babe's life, doctors volition refer to it equally early onset GBS disease. The CDC note that in the majority of newborns with early onset GBS, symptoms appear on the day of their nascency. Newborns who develop GBS later on on may appear healthy during the starting time week of life.

Importantly, a adult female who gives birth to a child who develops GBS disease will normally feel fine and may not have whatsoever symptoms. She may simply be a carrier of the bacteria, passing it on to the infant, who is more than delicate and prone to infection. This lack of symptoms in the woman makes testing for the infection during pregnancy very important.

Routine screening for GBS is commonplace, especially in pregnant women just before delivery. Doctors will requite the woman a exam between 36 and 37 weeks of her pregnancy. This test provides accurate results that determine whether the woman currently has the GBS bacteria in her system and predict the likelihood of her having them while giving birth.

To perform the exam, the medico will swab both the vagina and rectum or have sterile fluid samples. They volition so send these swabs or samples to a laboratory for testing. The results practise non have long to analyze and should be available within a few days.

If and when a person tests positive for GBS, at that place are a few different handling options.

Doctors commonly treat GBS infections with antibiotics, such as penicillin and ampicillin. People with more serious infections from GBS may crave further treatment. For example, in some cases, people with infections in their bones or soft tissues may need surgery.

During pregnancy, the only proven mode to reduce the hazard of passing GBS to a newborn is by giving the mother intravenous (IV) antibiotics during labor. Oral antibiotics will non help. Taking antibiotics earlier labor will not provide any benefit, equally these bacteria abound back very fast.

Penicillin is a common antibody for use during pregnancy in women who are non allergic. Anyone who is allergic to penicillin should discuss other options with their doctor.

If a adult female tests positive for GBS but doctors have scheduled her for a cesarean commitment, she is unlikely to need antibiotics. Nonetheless, if her water breaks or she goes into labor before the procedure, doctors volition probably still give her the antibiotics during labor.

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A doctor may prescribe antibiotics during labor to preclude early onset GBS in a newborn.

Much of the time, there is no specific way to prevent GBS in adults. The bacteria may regularly come up and go in people'south bodies and cause no symptoms.

Even so, prevention is extremely important in pregnant women and their newborns.

Doctors will desire to take steps to prevent a woman from passing GBS to her newborn child. Giving a loftier take a chance significant woman an Four of antibiotics during labor can usually forestall early onset GBS in newborns.

Co-ordinate to the CDC, a woman who is a GBS carrier and receives antibiotics during labor has only a one in 4,000 hazard of delivering a baby who develops GBS disease. Without the antibiotics, the run a risk increases to ane in 200.

It is important to note that these antibiotics tin just help during labor. Taking them earlier will not help prevent GBS, as the bacteria grow dorsum rapidly.

At that place is no vaccine for GBS, although researchers are currently working on developing one.

In many adults, the presence of GBS is normal. Lots of people acquit the leaner in their body and may never observe symptoms or develop a more serious infection.

Pregnant women who test positive for GBS will normally need handling to avoid passing GBS to their newborns. Infants have the highest risk of debilitating complications or death from group B strep.

Taking antibiotics during labor can significantly reduce the gamble of a pregnant adult female passing GBS to her newborn.

GBS infection can happen at any age, but information technology is less common and may be less severe in older children and adults. People with sure chronic illnesses and older adults may be at higher risk for group B strep disease.