Screening And Management Group B Streptococcus
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a type of bacteria that can be found in 15% of all healthy pregnant women’s vagina or rectum.
A mother with GBS can sometimes pass the bacteria to her baby during delivery resulting in severe infections of her newborn.
Provision of intravenous antibiotics during labour for women tested positive for GBS can greatly reduce the risk of their newborns getting infected. The best time to screen for GBS is between 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy. The test involves a swab of both the vagina and the rectum.
