Nosocomial Transmission of Group B Streptococci in a Newborn Nursery

Group B streptococcal colonization of normal newborn infants increased from 22.5% within 20 hours of birth to 65.4% at the time of hospital discharge (P less than .001). In contrast, colonization in mothers did not change significantly between the time of admission to labor and delivery (27.7%) and the time of discharge (31.1%). Epidemiologic data suggested but did not prove that the mode of nosocomial transmission of group B streptococci among infants was cross colonization via personnel contact.