Who is affected

• Nearly 10 to 35 percent of all healthy adult women have Group B Strep. One out of every 100 to 200 babies born will get GBS from a colonized mother. Most women do not know they are carriers of Group B Strep.
  
  

Causes

• Infants contract Group B Strep by coming in direct contact with the bacteria while in the uterus, by either swallowing or inhaling it. They can also be exposed to GBS when they pass through the birth canal.
  
  

Risk Factors for Developing GBS

• You are at a greater risk of developing Group B Strep is you have a positive culture for GBS colonization at 35 to 37 weeks, had a positive GBS test in a past pregnancy or have a baby who had a GBS infection. Other factors include if your water breaks more than 18 hours before delivery or if you have a fever during labor.
  
  

Diagnosis

• A women can find out if she is at risk of Group B Strep by taking a GBS test between 35 and 37 weeks of pregnancy.
  
  

Treatment

• If a pregnant women is tested positive for Group B Strep, doctors will prescribe an antibiotic during labor. Once the baby is born, it will be tested for GBS. If the tests are positive, they will also be treated with antibiotics. If untreated in infants, Group B Strep can cause a variety of illnesses.