Group B Strep Awareness Month 2025

July 2025 is Group B Strep Awareness Month, to raise awareness of the infection, which can be deadly to newborns and the leading cause of meningitis in babies up to three months old.

What is Group B Strep?

Group B Strep (GBS), a type of bacteria known as streptococcal bacteria, is common in the population and is normally harmless. GBS can cause a problem if someone is pregnant, in young babies, and potentially if you are older or if you are already unwell.

How is Group B Strep identified and treated?

GBS is not routinely tested for in pregnancy, and should you test positive for GBS during pregnancy, you may require extra care or precautions to minimise the risk of your baby developing GBS.

• when GBS is identified during pregnancy through vaginal or rectal swab, IV antibiotics should be offered when labour starts.
• when GBS is identified from a urine sample, there may be a urine infection and antibiotics should be provided to treat this. IV antibiotics should also be offered when labour starts.

What are the symptoms?

It has been identified that two-thirds of babies with GBS infection present as early onset, usually within the first six days of life, and often show symptoms within the first 12 hours of birth. Symptoms can typically include:

• grunting/working hard to breathe/noisy breathing
• floppiness
• unwillingness to feed or not able to keep feed down
• changes in temperature – high or low temperature (or feeling hot or cold to touch)
• inconsolable crying
• unresponsive or unusually sleepy.

Late onset GBS, considered to occur from seven days to approximately 30 months of age, can also present with these symptoms together with other symptoms which are in line with meningitis, such as:

• bulging soft spot on baby’s head
• flinching from bright light
• staring or blank expression.

Testing and investigation should be undertaken as soon as possible when GBS is suspected, with treatment with antibiotics initiated promptly.

While many babies do recover from GBS, very sadly, current statistics show that one in every 16 babies who suffer from GBS during their first three months dies, and approximately one in 10 babies who survive GBS are left with a long-term disability.

Signposting for further information

• Group B Strep – NHS
• Group B Strep Support.

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