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After publication of the 1996 CDC guidelines recommending routine group B streptococcus (GBS) screening in pregnant women between 35 and 37 weeks’ gestation and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis for mothers who test positive, mortality from GBS during the first 7 days of life dropped significantly, but morbidity and mortality still occur. Investigators reviewed all cases of early-onset GBS at a large healthcare system in Utah between January 2002 and May 2006 to determine the rate of early-onset GBS and examine reasons for failed prevention.
The investigators identified 54 cases of early-onset GBS among 127,205 live births (0.42/1000 live births). Most cases were in non-Hispanic whites (78%) and term infants (78%). The most common presentat…