title: Screening for group B Streptococcus in pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: Infection with Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is considered an important public health problem. It is associated with: Neonatal sepsis, meningitis, pneumonia, neonatal death, septic abortion, chorioamnionitis, endometritis and other perinatal infections. The aim of this study was to determine the best screening strategy for GBS in pregnant women. For this a systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out in the Nursing Department of the Federal University of São Paulo, Cochrane Center, Brazil. Sources used were, EMBASE, LILACS, Medline, list of references, personal communication and the Cochrane library. The criterion for the selection of the studies was; studies which analyze some type of screening for GBS in pregnant women. Independent of the comparator, all analyses were in favor of a universal screening program for reducing the incidence of neonatal sepsis. The evidence obtained in this study suggests that the strategy of universal screening of pregnant women associated with the use of prophylactic antibiotics is safe and effective.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, SP, Brazil. mo_tami@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Mônica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taminato
authors.forename: Dayana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fram
authors.forename: Maria Regina
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Torloni
authors.forename: Angélica Gonçalves Silva
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Belasco
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saconato
authors.forename: Dulce Aparecida
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae