Pregnancy & Baby 

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Group B Strep factsheet

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Key recommendations:

1. Women at increased risk should be offered antibiotics immediately at the onset of labour through to delivery (i.e. women known to carry GBS without other risk factors and women not known to carry GBS but where another risk factor is present).
2. Women at particularly high risk should be strongly advised to accept intravenous antibiotics immediately at the onset of labour through to delivery (i.e. women known to carry GBS with one or more other risk factors, women not known to carry GBS with multiple risk factors and women who have previously had a baby infected with GBS).
3. For women in labour, the recommended doses of penicillin G are 3 g (or 5 MU) intravenously initially and then 1.5 g (or 2.5 MU) at four-hourly intervals until delivery (for women allergic to penicillin, clindamycin, 900 mg intravenously every eight hours until delivery, is recommended).
4. Intravenous antibiotics should be given for at least four hours prior to delivery where possible.
5. Babies born in situations where there is increased risk and the mother has received at least four hours of intravenous antibiotics prior to delivery should be assessed carefully by a paediatrician and, if completely healthy, intravenous antibiotics should not be given to the baby.
6. Babies born in situations where there is increased risk and the mother has not received at least four hours of intravenous antibiotics prior to delivery should be investigated fully and initially commenced on antibiotics until it is established the baby is not infected.

There are small but serious risks associated with taking antibiotics, so the decision must be considered carefully.

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