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Neonatal group B streptococcal disease: how infection control teams can contribute to prevention efforts
S J Schrag1, C G Whitney, A Schuchat
1Respiratory Diseases Branch, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
Insights
Group B streptococcal (GBS) disease prevention in newborns is crucial. Infection control teams can champion hospital policies to reduce GBS transmission and early-onset disease, safeguarding infant health.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Health
- Infectious Disease Prevention
- Public Health
Background:
- Group B streptococcal (GBS) disease poses a significant threat to newborn health, causing substantial morbidity and mortality.
- Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis has successfully reduced early-onset GBS disease but 20% of women remain colonized, posing ongoing transmission risks.
- Continued and enhanced prevention strategies are vital to further protect newborns from GBS infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the critical role of infection control teams in preventing perinatal Group B streptococcal disease.
- To emphasize the need for improved implementation of GBS prevention policies in healthcare settings.
- To underscore the importance of hospital-level efforts in reducing the burden of early-onset GBS disease.
Main Methods:
- Review of current guidelines and strategies for perinatal GBS disease prevention.
- Analysis of the role of infection control teams in hospital-based GBS prevention initiatives.
- Examination of key activities for infection control teams, including policy implementation, laboratory coordination, and case investigation.
Main Results:
- Current prevention guidelines have led to significant declines in early-onset GBS disease.
- Despite progress, ongoing GBS colonization in pregnant women necessitates sustained prevention efforts.
- Infection control teams are uniquely positioned to champion and enhance GBS prevention strategies within hospitals.
Conclusions:
- Hospital infection control teams are essential for effective implementation of GBS disease prevention policies.
- Coordinated efforts in policy, laboratory support, and surveillance by infection control teams can further reduce newborn GBS disease.
- Spearheading hospital-level prevention initiatives is key to minimizing the impact of early-onset GBS disease.
Abstract:
Group B streptococcal (GBS) disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among newborns. Many cases of newborn GBS disease can be prevented by the administration of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis. Current consensus guidelines for prevention of perinatal GBS disease have led to substantial declines in the incidence of GBS disease occurring in newborns <7 days of age (early-onset disease). Despite declines in the incidence of early-onset disease, approximately 20% of pregnant women are colonized with GBS at the time of labor and thus have the risk of transmitting the bacteria to their newborns. Consequently, continued and improved implementation of prevention efforts is essential. Infection control teams can contribute uniquely to prevention of perinatal GBS disease by serving as hospital champions of GBS disease prevention. In particular, teams can coordinate with administration and staff to encourage establishment and effective implementation of GBS prevention policies; facilitate improved laboratory processing of prenatal GBS screening specimens; monitor any adverse consequences of increased use of intrapartum antibiotics within the hospital; and investigate GBS cases that occur to determine whether they could have been prevented. By spearheading efforts to improve implementation of perinatal GBS disease prevention at the hospital level, hospital epidemiologists and infection control practitioners can play an important role in reducing the burden of early-onset GBS disease.