title: Waterbirth and GBS.
abstract: The literature provides a single case of early onset newborn Group B Strep (GBS) among 4432 waterbirths, suggesting that low-risk women who give birth in water may have a far lower rate of newborn GBS than women who have a dry birth. The last reported rate of newborn GBS for dry births was 1 in 1450. Several theories for this phenomenon are suggested in this article: (1) inoculating the baby with mother's intestinal flora at birth protects against GBS infection; (2) water washes off the GBS bacteria acquired during the descent through the vagina; (3) the water dilutes the GBS bacteria and mixes it with a multitude of other intestinal bacteria that compete with GBS; (4) early onset GBS is elicited by complications and interventions at birth, which occur less often at water-births; (5) kangaroo care at birth promotes healthy newborns; (6) GBS and antibiotic-resistant GBS are more prevalent in hospital environments, where waterbirths are not an option; (7) a higher rate of underreporting of adverse events at waterbirths compared to dry births; and/or (8) a massively successful international campaign has covered up the reporting of all deaths and disease from GBS after waterbirths.
authors.forename: Judy Slome
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cohain
mesh_terms: D001494:Baths / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D006700:Home Childbirth / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008880:Midwifery / Q000379:methods; D009321:Natural Childbirth / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D011247:Pregnancy; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014867:Water; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D014867:Water