Maternal peripartum complications associated with vaginal group B streptococci colonization

The study was done to determine the risk of clinically diagnosed intra-amni otic infection (IAI) and postpartum endometritis (PPE) associated with vagi nal group B streptococci (GBS) colonization. Pregnant women were enrolled i n a cross-sectional, observational study from 1992 to 1996 in Houston (n = 908), Seattle (n = 2676), and Pittsburgh (n = 4338), Swab samples were obta ined from the lower vagina of participants at admission for delivery and in oculated into selective broth and onto blood agar media. At the combined ce nters, 2.9% of the women (231/7922) had IAI, and 2.0% (157/7922) had PPE. T he risk of IAI was higher fur women with heavy GBS colonization (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.1-3.7) than for those with light colonization (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.7-1.8). The risk of GBS-associated P PE was not influenced by density of colonization (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.7) . These findings provide further evidence that GBS is associated with mater nal intrapartum complications.