BJOG Debate: Group B strep screening
FOR: The case for screening PHILIP J STEER, EMERITUS PROFESSOR, IMPERIAL COLLEGE, LONDON, UK
.................................................................................................................................................................. In the 1970s, early-onset group B streptococcus disease (EOGBSD) was identified as the major infectious cause of first-week neonatal morbidity and mortality in the USA. From the 1980s, clinical trials showed that administering intravenous penicillin prevented up to 90% of such cases. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued recommendations for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) in 1996, and in 2002 they recommended universal culture-based screening of all pregnant women at 35–37 weeks of gestation. During this time, the incidence of EOGBSD fell from >1.5 cases/1000 live births to
FOR: The case for screening PHILIP J STEER, EMERITUS PROFESSOR, IMPERIAL COLLEGE, LONDON, UK
.................................................................................................................................................................. In the 1970s, early-onset group B streptococcus disease (EOGBSD) was identified as the major infectious cause of first-week neonatal morbidity and mortality in the USA. From the 1980s, clinical trials showed that administering intravenous penicillin prevented up to 90% of such cases. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued recommendations for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) in 1996, and in 2002 they recommended universal culture-based screening of all pregnant women at 35–37 weeks of gestation. During this time, the incidence of EOGBSD fell from >1.5 cases/1000 live births to
