The natural history of group B streptococcal colonization in the pregnant woman and her offspring. I. Colonization studies

• Published in: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology Vol. 137; no. 1; p. 34
• Main Authors: Yow, M D, Leeds, L J, Thompson, P K, Mason, Jr, E O, Clark, D J, Beachler, C W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.1980
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Bacteriological Techniques; Carrier State - microbiology; Ear - microbiology; Ethnic Groups; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Longitudinal Studies; Maternal Age; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Pharynx - microbiology; Pregnancy; Rectum - microbiology; Streptococcus agalactiae - isolation & purification; Umbilical Cord - microbiology; Vagina - microbiology
• ISSN: 0002-9378; 1097-6868
• DOI: 10.1016/0002-9378(80)90382-8

A longitudinal study of colonization by group B streptococcus (GBS) was conducted in 93 pregnant women and 92 of their infants. Positive cultures were obtained from vaginal swab specimens on at least one occasion during pregnancy from 20.4% of the women. Three types of carriage were observed: chronic, transient, and intermittent. At the time of delivery, 12.9% of the mothers were colonized by GBS. GBS colonization occurred in 41.7% of the infants of the mothers colonized intrapartum. Only 1.2% of infants intrapartum culture-negative mothers were colonized. Infants colonized at birth were culture negative by 4 months of age. This study suggests that interruption of vertical transmission of GBS from mother to infant not only would influence the incidence of early-onset GBS disease but also might reduce the incidence of late-onset GBS disease.