Group B Streptococcus (GBS): A type of bacteria that many people carry normally and can be passed to the fetus at the time of delivery. GBS can cause serious infection in some newborns. Antibiotics are given to women who carry the bacteria during labor to prevent newborn infection.
Video file. Group B streptococcus (also called Group B strep or GBS) is a common type of bacteria (tiny organisms that live in and around your body) that can cause infection. Usually GBS is not serious for adults, but it can hurt newborns. Many people carry Group B strep bacteria and don't know it.
Group B strep infection (also GBS or group B Streptococcus) is caused by bacteria typically found in a person's vagina or rectal area. About 25% of pregnant people have GBS, but don't know it because it doesn't cause symptoms. A pregnant person with GBS can pass the bacteria to their baby during vaginal delivery.
How do people become carriers of group B Strep? 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.
About 1 in every 4 pregnant women carry GBS bacteria in their body. Talk to your doctor or midwife to learn more and find out if you are at risk of having a newborn who will develop GBS disease. Learn how you can help protect your newborn from getting GBS disease.
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.
The infections caused by GBS are serious and can be fatal. Yet prompt treatment usually leads to complete recovery.
Even though health care providers do not widely recognize GBS vaginitis, GBS can cause yellow or green discharge as well as vaginal burning and/or irritation. These symptoms may be mistaken for a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis.
Bacteria called group B Streptococcus (group B strep, GBS) cause GBS disease. GBS bacteria commonly live in people's gastrointestinal and genital tracts. The gastrointestinal tract is the part of the body that digests food and includes the stomach and intestines.
GBS is a germ that is found normally in the intestines and genital tract of about one out of five pregnant women. Although it usually is not harmful to the woman, it can cause serious infections in her baby, including infections of the blood, spinal fluid and lungs.
Close contact with another person with strep throat is the most common risk factor for illness. For example, if someone has strep throat, the bacteria often spread to other people in their household. Infectious illnesses tend to spread wherever large groups of people gather.
Doctors usually treat GBS disease with antibiotics. Sometimes people with soft tissue and bone infections may need additional treatment, such as surgery. Treatment will depend on the kind of infection caused by GBS bacteria.
Eat a balanced diet and make sure to get enough fruits and vegetables, complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats, and even add in some cultured foods that support healthy gut and vaginal health, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha. Stay hydrated: Drink at least 10-12 cups of water every day.
The disease is usually caused by contact with the mother after delivery if she is infected. But it can come from other sources too, such as contact with other people who have GBS. Late-onset disease also is serious and can cause meningitis. In newborns, the signs and symptoms of meningitis can be hard to spot.
GBS disease can be very serious, especially for babies.
In the United States, GBS bacteria are a leading cause of meningitis and bloodstream infections in a newborn's first three months of life. Newborns are at increased risk for GBS disease if their mother tests positive for the bacteria late in pregnancy.
Hahn said stress and a weakened immune system could flip the switch. “There could be an activation of an existing strep infection in the body,” he said. “The importance of maintaining the strength of your immune system cannot be underestimated.”
GBS can cause mild disease in adults, such as urinary tract infections (bladder infections). GBS can also cause serious infections in adults that include bloodstream infections, pneumonia (infection in the lung), skin and soft-tissue infections, and bone and joint infections.
But there's a small risk that GBS can pass to the baby during childbirth. Sometimes GBS infection in newborn babies can cause serious complications that can be life-threatening, but this is not common. Extremely rarely, GBS infection during pregnancy can also cause miscarriage, early (premature) labour or stillbirth.
This will depend on your individual circumstances and on how many weeks pregnant you are. The antibiotic that you will be offered to prevent GBS infection in your baby is usually penicillin. If you are allergic to penicillin then you will be offered a suitable alternative.
Many people carry GBS in their bodies but do not become ill. These people are considered to be "carriers." People who carry GBS typically do so temporarily, they do not become lifelong carriers of the bacteria.
If group B Strep has been found from a urine sample during your pregnancy, you may have a urinary tract infection. If so, you should be given antibiotics to treat it. You should also be offered intravenous antibiotics when labour starts*.
Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is one of the major causes of chorioamnionitis, which is a risk factor for preterm birth and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Garlic is thought to have antimicrobial properties, and one small study suggests garlic was able to kill Group B Strep bacteria within 3 hours. More research needs to be done, but it seems like a promising alternative. For maximum effectiveness, try: Garlic paste: Mix 1 glove chopped and 1 teaspoon honey.
Most people do not have any symptoms. Although, GBS can cause vaginal burning/irritation and/or unusual discharge which may be mistaken for a yeast infection and treated incorrectly. If you have “vaginitis” symptoms, see your care provider promptly for an exam and possible GBS testing.