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streptococcus (GBS) are bacteria that can be found in the
digestive tract, urinary tract, and genital area of adults.
Although GBS infection usually causes no problems in healthy
women before pregnancy, it can cause serious illness for the
mother and baby during pregnancy and after delivery. About 10 to
30 percent of pregnant women carry GBS in their rectum or
vagina. In the pregnant mother, GBS infection may cause
chorioamnionitis (a severe infection of the placental tissues)
and postpartum (after birth) infection. Urinary tract infections
caused by GBS can lead to preterm labor and birth. Newborn
babies contract the GBS during pregnancy, or from the mother's
genital tract during labor and delivery. GBS is the most common
cause of life-threatening infections in newborns, including
pneumonia and meningitis. If a pregnant woman who is a group B
strep carrier does not get antibiotics at the t