title: Is maternal colonization with group B streptococci a risk factor for preeclampsia?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the association between maternal rectovaginal colonization with group B Streptococcus (GBS) and the outcome of preeclampsia, and to identify other factors such as maternal chocolate consumption that may be associated with preeclampsia on the Texas-Mexico border.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was conducted among 330 women who delivered at a teaching hospital in El Paso, Texas, during the time period April 2010 to April 2012. Preeclamptic cases (n = 165) and controls free of preeclampsia (n = 165) were matched by gestational age and date of delivery. Conditional logistic regression (with multiple imputation for missing data) was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that were adjusted for maternal age and other factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cases (94.6%) and controls (97.0%) were predominantly Hispanic. GBS colonization was not associated with preeclampsia: adjusted OR = 1.73 (95% CI 0.63-4.74, p = 0.29). Maternal consumption of chocolate desserts once daily or more frequently as compared to < 7 times weekly was associated with a 76% reduction in the odds of preeclampsia: adjusted OR = 0.24 (95% CI 0.09-0.63, p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study did not confirm the protective association between GBS and preeclampsia that was found in 2 existing state hospital datasets. Chocolate consumption during pregnancy was inversely associated with preeclampsia.
authors.forename: Zuber D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Mulla
authors.forename: Thelma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carrillo
authors.forename: Ramaswami
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalamegham
authors.forename: Loretta L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Portugal
authors.forename: Bahij S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Nuwayhid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002099:Cacao; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult