Group B Streptococcal Disease in the Era of Intrapartum Antibiotic Prophylaxis

Invasive group B streptococcal disease emerged in the 1970s as a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in the United States. 1 – 4 In the 1990s, 4 to 6 percent of affected newborns died from the infection. 5 , 6 Surviving infants often have developmental disabilities, including mental retardation and hearing or vision loss. The incidence of group B streptococcal disease is also high among pregnant women and the elderly. 7 Clinical trials in the mid-1980s demonstrated that antibiotic prophylaxis administered during labor to mothers colonized with group B streptococci was highly effective in preventing disease in newborns. 8 However, the medical community was . . .