A pregnant woman may have group B streptococcus (GBS) in her gastrointestinal and/or genitourinary tract and not know it, since this bacterium generally does not cause symptoms in healthy adults.
However, at the time of delivery the mother can transmit GBS to the baby, which can cause serious problems such as pneumonia, meningitis or sepsis, sometimes compromising the life of the newborn.
For this reason, pregnant women are screened for GBS, so that (in case of a positive result) the necessary measures can be taken to reduce the risk of the baby suffering a GBS infection after birth.
Read the full article on: Why and when are pregnant women tested for group B Streptococcus? ( 28).
By Laura Rollán Guilén B.Sc. (embryologist), Silvia Azaña Gutiérrez B.Sc., M.Sc. (embryologist) and Michelle Lorraine Embleton B.Sc. Ph.D. (biochemist).
Last Update: 10/03/2022
