Group B streptococcus: perinatal considerations.

Group B streptococcal (GBS) infections are responsible for significant perinatal morbidity and mortality in the United States. It has been proposed that to prevent neonatal sepsis, all pregnant women be screened for GBS colonization, and that intrapartum antibiotics be used in certain high-risk situations. These recommendations are controversial, as is the current management of the asymptomatic newborn of a GBS-colonized mother.