Perinatal group B streptococcal infections: the nurse's role in identification and prophylaxis.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a major cause of perinatal infectious morbidity and mortality in the United States. An estimated 50,000 women and 7,600 neonates experience GBS disease, and as many as 310 infants die each year. In 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics published recommendations for identification and treatment of pregnant women colonized with GBS. In 1996, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists developed more comprehensive guidelines. The article describes the central role of perinatal nurses in the identification of pregnant women colonized with GBS, patient education about GBS disease, and successful implementation of intrapartum GBS prophylaxis.