What is group B strep infection in newborn babies?
Infection with the bacterium (a kind of germ) called group B streptococcus can make a newborn baby seriously ill. This infection doesn’t happen often, but when it does babies need to be treated quickly. Most infections in newborn babies are caused by a kind of bacterium called group B streptococcus (also called group B strep or GBS).1 Group B strep can live in your body without causing any problems. But if these bacteria spread from a mother to her baby during birth they can cause serious illness such as:1 2 • Blood infection (sepsis) • Lung infection (pneumonia) • Infection of the fluid and lining around the brain (meningitis). You may also hear group B strep infections called strep B infections and beta strep infections or beta strep disease. Although adults can get group B strep infections, newborn babies are much more likely to get them. There are two main types of group B strep infection in newborn babies. Early-onset infectionIf your baby gets group B strep infection in the first
