Perinatal Group B Streptococcal Disease: A Summary of Revised Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control

Abstract

Recommendations for prevention of perinatal Group B Streptococcus (GBS) were issued in 1996 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), followed in 1997 by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Although increased prevention activities during the 1990s resulted in a striking decline in incidence, GBS disease remains a leading infectious cause of morbidity and mortality among newborns in the U.S. Using available evidence and expert opinion, the CDC issued revised guidelines in August 2002 that replace the 1996 recommendations. This article, taken directly from the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (August 16, 2002), presents a summary of the revised recommendations most applicable to neonatal nursing. The complete report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/RR/RR5111.pdf.