Neonatal Group B streptococcal infection at the Mount Hope Women's Hospital, Trinidad.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of early onset Group B streptococcal (GBS) infection in neonates at the Mount Hope Women's Hospital, Trinidad over the period 1996-97.


METHODS
This retrospective study included all babies with a positive blood culture for GBS during the study period.


RESULTS
There were 9866 live births (LB) of whom 29 were diagnosed as early onset GBS disease. The incidence was 2.9/1000 LB. 37.9% of babies were preterm and 65.5% were delivered to primiparous women. Rupture of amniotic membranes occurred within 12 h of delivery in 55% of infected babies. Four of the 29 infected babies died and all were preterm.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of early onset neonatal GBS sepsis was five to six times higher in this series than that reported in the USA and UK. An intervention policy to control this preventable disease is urgently needed.
Ali
Z
Z
Mount Hope Women's Hospital, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Trinidad, West Indies. zuali@trinidad.net
D000328:Adult; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D007902:Length of Stay; D008423:Maternal Age; D010298:Parity; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014300:Trinidad and Tobago / Q000453:epidemiology