Group B strep (GBS) causes serious infections in newborn infants and pregnant women. Increasingly, group B strep also causes bloodstream infections and pneumonias in nonpregnant adults. Group B strep infections are treated with antibiotics.
To reduce the risk of infection in pregnant women and newborns, cultures are taken from pregnant women during late pregnancy, and intravenous antibiotics are given to those with positive cultures. This practice has significantly reduced the number of serious infections in newborns and pregnant women.
If a test shows that you carry GBS, your doctor will give you antibiotics through an IV during your labor. Even if you are not tested for GBS but have risk factors, your doctor will give you the same treatment.
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