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. 2025 Oct 23;16:9381. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-64324-y

Table 2.

Newborn and blood spot sample characteristics by case and control status

Early-onset
(0–6 days)
cases:
n (col %)
Late-onset
(7–89 days)
cases:
n (col %)
All cases
n (col %)
Controls
n (col %)
Total 268 (100) 375 (100) 643 (100) 2801 (100)
Newborn characteristics
Gestational age (weeks)
 <34 54 (20) 127 (34) 181 (28) 100 (4)
 34–36 20 (7) 50 (13) 70 (11) 244 (9)
 ≥37 193 (72) 197 (53) 390 (61) 2449 (87)
 Missing 1 (< 1) 1 (< 1) 2 (< 1) 8 (< 1)
Birth weight in grams,
 Median (min–max) 3150 (455–4740) 2610 (360–4770) 2853 (360–4770) 3220 (445–6650)
 Missing n (%) 0 (0) 14 (4) 14 (2) 30 (1)
Duration of birth hospitalization (days)
 Median (min–max) 11 (< 1–141) 4 (< 1–214) 10 (0–214) 2 (0–348)
 Missing n (%) 11 (4) 26 (7) 37 (6) 41 (1)
Receipt of antibiotics during birth hospitalizationa N = 117 N = 125 N = 242 N = 2799
 Yes 99 (85) 57 (46) 156 (64) 383 (14)
 No 9 (8) 54 (43) 63 (26) 2399 (86)
 Missing 9 (8) 14 (11) 23 (10) 17 (< 1)
Race and ethnicity
 Hispanic or Latino 32 (12) 53 (14) 85 (13) 497 (18)
 Non-Hispanic (NH) Black 102 (38) 138 (37) 240 (37) 1136 (41)
 NH Asian or Pacific Islander 15 (6) 28 (7) 43 (7) 418 (15)
 NH American Indian or Alaska Native 0 0 0 2 (< 1)
 NH White 102 (38) 146 (39) 248 (39) 649 (23)
 Missing 17 (6) 10 (3) 27 (4) 99 (4)
Sex
 Male 139 (52) 189 (50) 328 (51) 1427 (51)
 Female 127 (47) 182 (49) 309 (48) 1373 (49)
 Missing 2 (< 1) 4 (1) 6 (< 1) 1 (< 1)
Year of birth
 2010–2012 13 (5) 18 (5) 31 (5) 0 (0)
 2013–2017 84 (31) 139 (37) 223 (35) 0 (0)
 2018–2022b 171 (64) 218 (58) 389 (60) 2801 (100)
Age at GBS illness onset (cases only)
 Median (days) (IQR) 0 (0–0) 31 (18–49) 13 (0–36)
Syndrome (cases only)
 Bacteremia without focus 212 (79) 199 (53) 411 (64)
 Meningitis 34 (13) 140 (37) 174 (27)
 Otherc 22 (8) 36 (10) 58 (9)
Outcome of GBS illness (cases only)
 Survived 251 (94) 347 (93) 598 (93)
 Died 16 (6) 27 (7) 43 (7)
 Missing 1 (< 1) 1 (< 1) 2 (< 1)
Blood spot characteristics
Age of the baby when DBS was collected
 Median (days) (IQR) 1 (0–2) 1 (1–2) 1 (1–2) 1 (1–1)
 Missing n (%) 0 (0) 1 (< 1) 1 (< 1) 9 (< 1)
Age of baby when DBS was collected
 <24 hours (0 day)d 125 (47) 102 (27) 227 (35) 633 (23)
 24–<48 hours (1 day) 73 (27) 198 (53) 271 (42) 1,885 (67)
 48–<72 hours (2 days) 36 (13) 44 (12) 80 (12) 198 (7)
 72–<96 hours (3 days) 12 (4) 5 (1) 17 (3) 13 (< 1)
 96 hours or more (4+ days) 22 (8) 25 (7) 47 (7) 63 (2)
 Missing 0 1 (< 1) 1 (< 1) 9 (< 1)
Timing of DBS collection relative to onset of GBS illness (cases only)
 Before or on the same day as the case–defining culture 123 (46) 370 (99) 493 (77)
 1–3 days after 120 (45) 1 (< 1) 121 (19)
 >3 days after 25 (9) 3 (< 1) 28 (4)
 Missing 0 1 (< 1) 1 (< 1)

aCase data limited to 2020–2022; not routinely collected pre-2020.

bEnrollment ended 31 Dec 2022, but six controls were born in early 2023 after their mothers were identified as GBS colonized and enrolled near the end of 2022.

cIncludes other invasive syndromes, the most common of which were cellulitis, septic shock, and bacteremic pneumonia.

dNumber of days used if hours were not available due to missing time of collection or time of birth.