The current preventive guidelines regarding group B strep infection (GBS) in pregnant women, which as we know could cause serious complications in the newborn, are based on the detection of pregnant women colonized by GBS by means of a prenatal test, intrapartum antibiotic treatment of the same and follow-up of the newborn.
In countries like the United States or Spain, there are several medical associations that have agreed to follow preventive measures to prevent infection of the newborn in childbirth.
The Spanish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SEGO), the Spanish Society of Neonatology (SEN), the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), the Spanish Society of Chemotherapy (SEQ) and the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (SEMFYC) agreed in 2003 on the following recommendations, based on other international organizations.
- Perform a vaginal and anal culture to all pregnant women between the 35th and 37th week of gestation. Crops with more than 5 weeks may not be valid, so they must be repeated.
- If the pregnant woman has been infected by GBS or a previous child was infected, prophylaxis measures will be carried out directly.
- The intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of neonatal GBS infection in cases of positive urine culture or analysis during pregnancy and mothers with previously infected children.
- Newborns will be observed in case there are symptoms of GBS infection, and if there are suspicions of infection, treatment with active antibiotics against streptococcus will be initiated and subsequent treatment will depend on clinical evolution and diagnostic evaluation.
In the United States, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and various societies of obstetrics and pediatrics also recommend different strategies to prevent group B streptococcal infections.
These measures can prevent almost 80% of infections in the first week of life. In 1995, the CDC published the standards for the treatment of women in labor and delivery, which do not differ from the above in the case of Spanish protocols.
The CDC showed that hospitals that have protocols to prevent group B streptococcal infections have fewer cases of sick newborns. On the other hand, between the inconveniences If these protocols are applied, it is found that using antibiotics in a preventive manner increases their use and this may produce antibiotic resistance. In addition, this medication can cause serious reactions in mothers allergic to penicillin.
However, it is concluded that the benefits are much greater, since the use of these antibiotics saves the lives of many babies, and hence the establishment of those medical protocols on streptococcal infection in pregnant women.
