The Effect of Intrapartum Versus Antepartum Penicillin On Vaginal Group B Streptococcus Colony Counts

Abstract

Worldwide, colonization by group B streptococcus is highly prevalent among pregnant women, varying between 4% and 30% ( Edwards et al., 2006). GBS can cause significant morbidity in pregnant women. Manifestations of symptomatic maternal infection include chorioamnionitis, endometritis, cystitis, pyelonephritis and febrile GBS bacteraemia. Cesarean delivery appears to be a prominent risk factor for postpartum endomyometritis. Colonization with GBS was significantly associated with prolonged labor, premature rupture of membranes and preterm delivery. Less commonly, GBS is isolated in cases of post-operative wound infection, pelvic abscess, septic pelvic thrombophlebitis and osteomyelitis with maternal sepsis responsible for over 35% of these deaths (Campbell et al., 2001). Although GBS infections tend to occur more commonly among adults than in neonates, but the overall mortality is higher in neonates. Approximately 60% of infants born to colonized mother become colonized with their mother’s organisms. The likelihood of neonatal colonization at birth is higher if the mother is heavily colonized (Patrick et al., 2002). Neonatal GBS infection comes in two forms: early onset and late onset. Early-onset infections are classified epidemiologically through 7 days of age, but have a median