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Signs & Symptoms of Strep B in Infants

Strep B, also known as Group B strep, is a bacteria that can grow in the bladder, intestines or genitals of some adults. Most healthy adults who have this bacteria show no symptoms, but if an infant acquires this bacteria, she will develop strep B disease. An infant can come into direct contact with the bacteria in the uterus or as she is coming through the birth canal during delivery.

  1. Early-Onset Symptoms

    • Symptoms of early-onset strep B disease usually appear within 12 hours after birth, but can appear as late as one week after birth. Signs that a baby has strep B disease include fever, difficulty feeding and lethargy. An infant with an early-onset strep B infection may develop sepsis, pneumonia or meningitis. These complications can be life threatening. Early-onset strep B disease is more serious than late-onset strep B disease.

    Late-Onset Symptoms

    • Infants with late-onset strep B disease may exhibit symptoms, such as fever, difficulty feeding, lethargy and seizures, anywhere from one week to three months after delivery. He may also show signs of an upper-respiratory infection that may include nasal congestion and a cough. Meningitis is a complication associated with late-onset strep B disease.

    Sepsis

    • Sepsis, also known as "bacteremia," is an infection of the blood and is a serious complication of strep B disease. An infant with sepsis may have a fever or a low and unstable temperature, an irregular heartbeat and irregular breathing. Her skin may be cold, clammy and pale, and she may seem irritable, listless and floppy. She may eat poorly or experience vomiting and diarrhea.

    Meningitis Symptoms

    • Meningitis, an infection of the lining and fluid of the brain, is a complication of both early- and late-onset strep B disease. An infant with meningitis may be irritable and lethargic. She may cry inconsolably and have a high-pitched cry. She may have fever or low body temperature, may have a stiff body, and her soft spot or fontanels may seem to bulge. Untreated meningitis can lead to brain damage or even death.

    Pnuemonia Symptoms

    • Pneumonia, a complication of early-onset strep B disease, is an infection of the lungs that causes inflammation. Symptoms such as a rapid heart beat, fatigue, restlessness, irritability, fever, coughing, rapid breathing and trouble breathing may be observed in an infant with pneumonia. An infant who is having trouble breathing will have flared nostrils and a sinking chest as he breathes. An infant with pneumonia may also have vomiting and diarrhea.

    Diagnosis and Treatment

    • Doctors will note the infant's symptoms and do blood work to determine if an infant has strep B disease. They might also do a spinal tap and test the spinal fluid for signs of the bacteria. If an infant has strep B disease, she will be treated with intravenous antibiotics. Meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis caused by the strep B bacteria will also be treated with antibiotics.

    Prevention

    • Women who are expecting are routinely tested for the strep B bacteria when they are between 35 and 37 weeks pregnant. A mother who has tested positive for strep B will be treated with IV antibiotics while she is in labor to help prevent her infant from getting strep B disease. Mothers who go into labor before 37 weeks, whose amniotic sacs have been ruptured for more the 18 hours before delivery, who have had a previous infant with strep B disease or who have a fever greater than 100 degrees F during labor are also given IV antibiotics as a preventive measure.

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