Locations:
Search IconSearch

What To Know About Vaginal Strep If You’re Pregnant

Adults are often asymptomatic, but this bacteria can seriously harm newborns

Pregnant woman lying on couch

When you hear “strep,” you probably think of strep throat, that painful throat and tonsil infection that nearly every child and many unlucky adults have suffered through at some point or another. Strep throat is the most common of a number of Group A streptococcal (GAS) infections.

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

But there’s another type of strep, too — Group B Streptococcus (GBS), sometimes called vaginal strep, which can be deadly to newborn babies.

Ob/Gyn Edward Chien, MD, MBA, explains what people who are pregnant and hopeful future parents should know about Group B strep, including how it’s detected and treated.

What is Group B strep?

Group B strep is a germ that lives in an estimated 10% to 30% of people who are pregnant — though that in itself is not too alarming. “As humans, we have all sorts of bacteria living inside us,” Dr. Chien explains. “About a third of women are colonized with group B strep. It commonly lives in the colon and can then colonize the vagina.”

Group B strep is usually pretty unproblematic in healthy adults — but if it’s passed to your newborn baby during vaginal birth, it can cause them very serious health problems, including:

“Babies’ immune systems haven’t been exposed to lots of bacteria, so their bodies aren’t as good at fighting it off or living with it,” Dr. Chien explains. “If a baby passes through the birth canal, where Group B strep is present, that baby may be susceptible to infection.”

Advertisement

He continues, “Most full-term babies have a strong enough immune system to fight it off or prevent it from causing a problem, but a small percentage won’t have a strong enough immune system. In that case, it can become severe in a very short period of time.”

What are symptoms of Group B strep?

In healthy adults, Group B strep is a bit of a lurker — that is to say, it doesn’t often cause symptoms or complications in people who have it. If you have GBS but don’t exhibit any symptoms, you’re called a carrier.

“Typically, people just live with it, and it doesn’t cause a problem,” Dr. Chien says.

Group B strep symptoms in babies

Most babies who have GBS will start showing signs of it within 24 hours after birth, before they’ve even left the hospital. Those signs include:

  • Breathing problems.
  • Difficulty feeding.
  • Fever.
  • Irritability and/or jitteriness.
  • Jaundice.
  • Low body temperature.
  • Rash.
  • Seizures.
  • Sluggishness.

Babies who test positive for Group B strep may need to be treated in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU), where they’ll receive antibiotics. “If your newborn starts to experience any of these symptoms after you’ve left the hospital, call your pediatrician right away,” Dr. Chien advises.

Can you get rid of Group B Strep?

Good news: Your pregnancy care team will screen you for Group B strep near the end of your pregnancy — around 36 to 37 weeks. If you test positive, you’ll be given IV antibiotics (typically penicillin, unless you’re allergic) when you go into labor. This quickly reduces the amount of transmissible GBS in your body to the point that you’re unlikely to pass it on to your newborn.

“Group B strep is an organism that’s very sensitive to penicillin, so when we give penicillin to a pregnant patient, it reduces the bacteria within one to two hours,” Dr. Chien says. “That way, even if a baby passes through the birth canal, it’s not likely to get sick.”

If you go into labor before you’ve been tested for group B strep, doctors will typically give you penicillin if you are still preterm regardless, just to be on the safe side. “Premature babies are more susceptible to Group B strep, so unless they recently tested negative for it, patients who go into early labor are automatically treated for it when they come in.”

Advertisement

Learn more about our editorial process.

Related Articles

Baby, lying down, eyes closed, yawning
November 27, 2024/Children's Health
15 Signs That Your Baby Is Tired

Yawning is a clear signal, but frowning, ear-pulling and finger-sucking can be, too

Pregnant person happily folding baby clothes in the nursery
November 22, 2024/Pregnancy & Childbirth
Nesting Instinct When Pregnant

The urge to get your home ready for baby often hits in the last trimester — but not everyone experiences it

Smiling new parents holding swaddled newborn baby
November 20, 2024/Pregnancy & Childbirth
Newborn Coming Into Your Life? Here’s What Vaccines You Should Get

Baby’s caregivers should be up-to-date on flu, COVID-19 and Tdap vaccines to protect the newborn in their lives

Gloved hands of healthcare provider giving a shot in the shoulder of a young child
November 15, 2024/Children's Health
Well-Check Schedule for Children

These kids’ visits include getting important vaccines and checking on developmental milestones

Pregnant person in medical office with healthcare provider
November 6, 2024/Women's Health
Ob/Gyn or Midwife: Understanding the Differences

Ob/Gyns are trained physicians who can care for more complex medical needs than midwives, but which you choose depends on your health and comfort

Caregiver holding newborn on chest, with bathtub filling in background
October 31, 2024/Pregnancy & Childbirth
Newborn’s First Bath: The Benefits of Waiting

Delaying baby’s first bath can encourage breastfeeding success and strengthen bonding

Caregiver holding thermometer and a sick child wrapped in blanket
October 24, 2024/Children's Health
When Should You Worry About Your Child’s Fever?

Most cases are mild and can be treated at home, but some situations may require medical care or a trip to the ER

Person showing healthcare provider where their breast hurts in exam room
October 24, 2024/Women's Health
How To Know if You Could Have a Breast Abscess — and What To Do About It

A breast abscess feels like a hot, hard and painful lump — seek support from a healthcare provider at first signs of an infection

Trending Topics

Person sitting on floor at night next to bed in deep thought, with partner sleeping in bed
Understanding Mental Load: What It Is and How It Affects You

When you get bogged down with mental tasks, you can experience mood changes, sleeplessness and more

Hands holding two different kinds of pain medications separated by a white line
Can You Take Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen Together?

You can alternate these OTCs to help with pain management and fever reduction

Smiling person with headphones on, sweeping floor in living room
Understanding Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT Exercise)

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis is all the activity we do that’s not technically exercise but is still important to your health and well-being

Ad