Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.) logoLink to British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
. 1981 Dec 5;283(6305):1503–1505. doi: 10.1136/bmj.283.6305.1503

Colonisation of babies and their families by group B streptococci.

A M Weindling, J M Hawkins, M A Coombes, J Stringer
PMCID: PMC1507901  PMID: 6799041

Abstract

A high incidence of group B streptococcal disease of the newborn in West Berkshire led to a prospective study of the condition. Cultures taken from 1090 babies shortly after birth showed that 65 (6%) were colonised with the streptococcus. Thirty of these babies were assigned to group 1. Bacteriological samples were taken from babies and mothers at birth and at four, eight, and 12 weeks, and also from fathers and siblings. Fifty uncolonised babies and their families were similarly studied and served as controls (group 2). In group 1,28 of the 30 mothers and 14 of the 28 fathers examined were colonised by group B streptococci. In group 2 the streptococci were isolated from three babies, 12 mothers, and 11 out of 45 fathers during follow-up. These findings suggest that group B streptococci are carried predominantly in the lower gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. Most families are lightly colonised, but in others maternal colonisation is stable and heavy and the incidence of paternal colonisation high. Results of serotyping suggest that sexual transmission occurs, which may explain the difficulty in eradicating the organism during pregnancy.

Full text

PDF
1503

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aber R. C., Allen N., Howell J. T., Wilkenson H. W., Facklam R. R. Nosocomial transmission of group B streptococci. Pediatrics. 1976 Sep;58(3):346–353. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ablow R. C., Driscoll S. G., Effmann E. L., Gross I., Jolles C. J., Uauy R., Warshaw J. B. A comparison of early-onset group B steptococcal neonatal infection and the respiratory-distress syndrome of the newborn. N Engl J Med. 1976 Jan 8;294(2):65–70. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197601082940201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baker C. J., Barrett F. F. Transmission of group B streptococci among parturient women and their neonates. J Pediatr. 1973 Dec;83(6):919–925. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(73)80524-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bergqvist G., Hurvell B., Thal E., Vaclavinkova V. The persistence of group B streptococci in families. Scand J Infect Dis. 1976;8(2):79–81. doi: 10.3109/inf.1976.8.issue-2.04. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Easmon C. S., Hastings M. J., Clare A. J., Bloxham B., Marwood R., Rivers R. P., Stringer J. Nosocomial transmission of group B streptococci. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Aug 15;283(6289):459–461. doi: 10.1136/bmj.283.6289.459. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ferrieri P., Cleary P. P., Seeds A. E. Epidemiology of group-B streptococcal carriage in pregnant women and newborn infants. J Med Microbiol. 1977 Feb;10(1):103–114. doi: 10.1099/00222615-10-1-103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Franciosi R. A., Knostman J. D., Zimmerman R. A. Group B streptococcal neonatal and infant infections. J Pediatr. 1973 Apr;82(4):707–718. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(73)80604-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HOOD M., JANNEY A., DAMERON G. Beta hemolytic streptococcus group B associated with problems of the perinatal period. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1961 Oct;82:809–818. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)36146-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hall R. T., Barnes W., Krishnan L., Harris D. J., Rhodes P. G., Fayez J., Miller G. L. Antibiotic treatment of parturient women colonized with group B streptococci. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1976 Mar 15;124(6):630–634. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(76)90065-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Paredes A., Wong P., Mason E. O., Jr, Taber L. H., Barrett F. F. Nosocomial transmission of group B Streptococci in a newborn nursery. Pediatrics. 1977 May;59(5):679–682. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Reid T. M. Emergence of group B streptococci in obstetric and perinatal infections. Br Med J. 1975 Jun 7;2(5970):533–535. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5970.533. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Siegel J. D., McCracken G. H., Jr, Threlkeld N., Milvenan B., Rosenfeld C. R. Single-dose penicillin prophylaxis against neonatal group B streptococcal infections. A controlled trial in 18,738 newborn infants. N Engl J Med. 1980 Oct 2;303(14):769–775. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198010023031401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Speck W. T., Driscoll J. M., Polin R. A., Rosenkranz H. S. Natural history of neonatal colonization with group B streptococci. Pediatrics. 1977 Sep;60(3):356–359. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Steere A. C., Aber R. C., Warford L. R., Murphy K. E., Feeley J. C., Hayes P. S., Wilkinson H. W., Facklam R. R. Possible nosocomial transmission of group B streptococci in a newborn nursery. J Pediatr. 1975 Nov;87(5):784–787. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(75)80311-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Steigman A. J., Bottone E. J., Hanna B. A. Letter: Does intramuscular penicillin at delivery prevent group B beta hemolytic streptococcal disease of the newborn infant? J Pediatr. 1975 Sep;87(3):496–496. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(75)80674-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Wilkinson H. W. Group B streptococcal infection in humans. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1978;32:41–57. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.32.100178.000353. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Yow M. D., Mason E. O., Leeds L. J., Thompson P. K., Clark D. J., Gardner S. E. Ampicillin prevents intrapartum transmission of group B streptococcus. JAMA. 1979 Mar 23;241(12):1245–1247. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.) are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES