October is Prenatal-onset GBS Disease Recognition Month

There are three types of GBS but prenatal-onset is often overlooked or not recognized, which discounts the thousands of women who have lost their child because the baby was infected by GBS in the womb. We want to make sure that prenatal-onset is recognized and that more women and health care professionals become involved.

GBS can infect your baby even before your water breaks. GBS infections before birth are called “prenatal-onset.” Prenatal-onset GBS (POGBS) disease includes miscarriages and stillbirths caused by group B strep. Currently, babies who are born already infected with group B strep are classified as "early-onset" regardless of when the infection began. However, early-onset prevention strategies don't prevent GBS infections beginning before a woman's labor starts or her water breaks.

Learn more about prenatal-onset