Group B Streptococcal Infections: An Obstetrical Viewpoint

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) was first identified as a cause of puerperal sepsis during the late 1930s. However, concern regarding GBS was diminished in part by the greater pathogenicity of the group A Streptococcus, which was described in the same studies. Clinical research regarding GBS infections resumed during the 1960s. Data regarding the perinatal transmission of GBS have now accumulated to an extent that education of all obstetric and pediatric care providers is imperative. During the past 2 years, committees of both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have considered the issues of perinatal transmission of GBS. Each group had input from the other by a series of meetings and document exchanges.