title: Group B streptococcal infections.
abstract: Group B streptococcal disease remains a prominent cause of infectious morbidity in pregnant women and their infants. This article highlights recent developments that are relevant for obstetricians, perinatologists, and neonatologists caring for patients with group B streptococcal disease. The morbidity of group B streptococcal infections in pregnancy and the proposed association of colonization with adverse pregnancy outcome is discussed, as is the emergence of serotype V and the impact of late, late-onset disease for infants. Finally, the recently proposed guidelines for intrapartum chemoprophylaxis are summarized. Implementation of the guidelines should have substantial impact on reduction of early-onset group B streptococcal infections in infancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000465:Algorithms; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012703:Serotyping; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000635:transmission; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents