Group B Strep (GBS) is a bacteria that lives inside normal, healthy adults.
Up to 30% of pregnant women may be naturally "colonized" in the vaginal/rectal areas of their bodies at any given time.
It does not usually adversely affect healthy adults.
Newborn babies, however, are especially vulnerable to invasive infection
from GBS bacteria and GBS is easily transmitted to babies during birth, or less frequently, from their environment.
GBS disease in newborns can affect as many as 3 in every 1000 babies born
in the Unites States annually, in the form of pneumonia, sepsis or meningitis. One in 20 of these babies may die and
many others may suffer life long injury.
Early Onset Group B Strep disease
is usually preventable.
