The incidence of group B streptococci in newborns with respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract EN

All newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) during a period of 10 months were prospectively studied to find out the incidence of group B streptococci (GBS); It’s outcome and the value of gastric aspirate and blood culture for diagnosis of early onset GBS disease.

There were 102 newborns with RDS, GBS were isolated in 10 cases giving an incidence rate of9.8 % (0.15 / 1000 live birth).

Seventy four newborns were preterm (72.5 %), with gestational age ranging from 28 week to less than 37 week.

All GBS isolate were in preterm giving significant results.

GBS isolates in gastric aspirate and blood culture accounted for (7.8 % andl .9 %) respectively, while other bacterial isolate accounted for (21.5% and 12.7 %).

Mortality rate was 15.6 %, 16 newborns died ; 15 were preterm and one case only with GBS in gastric aspirate culture.