Study	Reason for exclusion
Calkin 1996	This randomized controlled study ascertained maternal bacterial colonization status on the third day after giving birth. Coloniztion status during labour was not known. Thus the study does not meet our inclusion criteria.
Christensen 1985a	This cohort study compared the efficacy of vaginal disinfection with chlorhexidine during labour for reducing colonization of newborns with GBS. In addition to vaginal disinfection with chlorhexidine of the treatment group, all of the women were given a shower using a chlorhexidine‐based soap, and care of all infants included disinfection of the umbilicus with a solution containing chlorhexidine. Thus the study does not meet criteria for inclusion.
Christensen 1985b	This was a cohort study that compared the effectiveness of single vaginal washing with chlorhexidine during labour to no treatment for the prevention of GBS colonization in term infants. The study thus does not meet criteria for inclusion.
Christensen 1987	This study has been published in abstract form only. One of the co‐authors Dr. Anna‐Karin Dykes informed us that this study was a cohort study not a randomized controlled trial.
Coppens 2000	This study was a non‐randomized controlled study that compared the effectiveness of 0.2 % diacetate chlorhexidine solution with placebo (tap water) for reducing GBS colonization in infants.
Cutland 2009	This randomized controlled study investigated the effect of chlorhexidine vaginal wipes or external genitalia water wipes during active labour. The newborn infants received full‐body (intervention group) or foot (control group) washes with chlorhexidine at birth, respectively. In a subset of mothers (n = 5144) maternal lower vaginal swabs and neonatal skin swabs after delivery were collected to assess colonization with potentially pathogenic bacteria. The mothers did not meet our inclusion criterion of GBS colonization at onset of labour. In addition, there was a co‐intervention of washes of the infant with chlorhexidine.
Dykes 1987	This was a cohort study that investigated the effect of vaginal washing with chlorhexidine at delivery on the colonization of the mother's urogenital tract with GBS 4 days later. This study did not meet inclusion criteria related to design.
Facchinetti 2002	This randomized controlled study investigated the efficacy of intrapartum vaginal flushings with chlorhexidine compared with ampicillin in preventing GBS transmission to neonates. This study thus did not meet inclusion criteria related to design.
Henrichsen 1994	This randomized study compared 2 different methods of vaginal disinfection with chlorhexidine for preventing neonatal infection. This study did not meet the inclusion criteria related to 'Types of intervention'.
Kaihura 2000	This study was a non‐randomized controlled study that compared the effectiveness of cleansing the birth canal with chlorhexidine 0.25% to cleansing the external genitals with cetrimide 1% and chlorhexidine 0.1% for reducing GBS sepsis in infants.
Kollee 1989	This study was a non‐randomized controlled trial that compared the effectiveness of vaginal disinfection with chlorhexidine gel to no treatment for reducing GBS colonization in infants.
Madhi 2007	This ongoing study of the use of chlorhexidine wipes of the birth canal to prevent neonatal sepsis does not a have maternal colonization with GBS as an entry criterion. The study therefore does not meet the inclusion criteria for this review. The recruitment status of this study is unknown. NCT 00136370 (www.clinicaltrials.gov accessed September 15, 2014).
Moss 2007	This ongoing study of the use of chlorhexidine wash of the vagina and the newborn to prevent neonatal sepsis does not a have maternal colonization with GBS as an entry criterion. The study therefore does not meet the inclusion criteria for this review. The recruitment status of this study is unknown. www.clinicaltrials.gov accessed September 15, 2014 and no reference to this study was found. No publication of this study was found in PubMed accessed September 15, 2014.
Mushangwe 2006	This study, published in abstract form, reports on the use of chlorhexidine washing of the vagina in labour. Maternal colonization with GBS was not an entry criterion. The study therefore does not meet the inclusion criteria for this review.
Pereira 2011	This trial compared 1 % chlorhexidine vaginal and neonatal washing with no washing. The mothers' GBS colonization status was not known at study entry and there was a co‐intervention of washing the infants. Therefore this study did not meet our inclusion criteria.
Rouse 1997	In this randomized controlled trial prophylaxis for early‐onset neonatal GBS sepsis was administered to mothers with certain risk factors for GBS. Vaginal cultures for GBS were not obtained. Therefore this study did not meet our inclusion criteria.
Saleem 2010	This trial compared chlorhexidine vaginal and neonatal wipes with saline placebo wipes. The mothers' GBS colonization status was not known at study entry and there was a co‐intervention of washing the infants. Therefore, this study did not meet our inclusion criteria.
Sanderson 1985	This was a cohort study that compared the effectiveness of whole body washing by mothers with chlorhexidine during the last 2 weeks of labour to a control group who bathed or showered in their normal manner without chlorhexidine. This study thus did not meet inclusion criteria related to design or intervention.

GBS: group B ß‐hemolytic streptococcus