What happens if my pregnancy screening test is positive for group B strep?
To prevent group B strep bacteria from being passed to the newborn, pregnant women who carry group B strep should be given antibiotics through the vein (IV) at the time of labor or when their water breaks. Question: Are there any symptoms if you are a group B strep carrier? Answer: Most pregnant women have no symptoms when they are carriers for group B strep bacteria. Sometimes, group B strep can cause bladder infections during pregnancy, or infections in the womb during labor or after delivery. Being a carrier (testing positive for group B strep, but having no symptoms) is quite common. Around 25% of women may carry the bacteria at any time. This doesn’t mean that they have group B strep disease, but it does mean that they are at higher risk for giving their baby a group B strep infection during birth.
