Group B Streptococcus is one of the most common, and most preventable, threats to newborns. As awareness month arrives, PathGroup explains why routine screening is one of the most important steps an expectant mother can take.
Key Facts:
- 1 in 4 pregnant women carry GBS with no symptoms
- A leading cause of bacterial meningitis and bloodstream infections in newborns
A common bacterium with uncommon consequences
Group B Streptococcus, GBS, or Strep B, is a bacterium that naturally lives in the digestive and reproductive tracts of roughly one in four adults. Most carriers experience no symptoms whatsoever, which is precisely what makes it so dangerous during pregnancy.
During labor and delivery, GBS can be transmitted from mother to newborn. For most babies, exposure causes no harm. But for those who develop an infection, the consequences can be catastrophic. GBS is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis, which, while rare, can still be live-threatening, particularly in premature infants.
GBS is also a leading cause of bacterial meningitis in newborns in the United States, an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord that can cause hearing loss, vision loss, learning disabilities, and death.
Why testing during pregnancy is non-negotiable
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that all pregnant women be screened for GBS between 36 and 37 weeks of gestation. The test is simple: a swab of the lower vagina and rectum, processed in a laboratory. Results are typically available within 24 to 48 hours.
If a woman tests positive, her OB-GYN can administer intravenous antibiotics during labor — a proven intervention that has reduced early-onset GBS disease in newborns by approximately 80%. That straightforward step, a simple swab weeks before delivery, is the difference between a preventable outcome and a devastating one.
What makes GBS screening especially important is that GBS status can change. A woman who tested negative earlier in pregnancy may be positive by 36 weeks, which is why timing matters and why the late-third-trimester window is specifically recommended.
PathGroup offers GBS testing with the speed and accuracy your practice demands
PathGroup’s laboratory network processes GBS cultures with industry-leading turnaround times, ensuring that results reach physicians and patients with the speed that late-pregnancy timelines require. Our pathologists and clinical staff operate around the clock, so test results are available when you need them, not when it’s convenient.
Clinicians partnering with PathGroup also benefit from seamless EHR integration through our PathConnect platform, real-time result delivery via MyResults, and direct access to our sub-specialized pathology experts for any consultations needed. For OB-GYN practices, that means less friction and more focus on the patient in front of you.
Comprehensive women’s health, at every stage of life
GBS testing is one part of a much broader commitment. PathGroup is one of the country’s largest providers of comprehensive women’s health laboratory services, offering a full continuum of testing that follows women from adolescence through their mature years. Every test, at every stage, is backed by the same commitment to clinical accuracy, fast turnaround, and physician collaboration.
Adolescent Years
- Pap test
- STI testing
- Vaginal infection screening and diagnosis
Reproductive Years
- Pap & HPV co-testing
- Prenatal panels
- Reproductive genetic testing
- STI panels
- Group B Strep screening
Middle-Age Years
- Cancer risk assessment
- Pap & HPV testing
- Preventive screenings
- Annual well-woman exams
Mature Years
- Comprehensive cancer screening & diagnostics
- Chronic disease monitoring
- Well-woman health evaluations
Underlying all of these services is PathGroup’s physician-led model. Our laboratories are run by pathologists, for clinicians, which means the diagnostic insights your patients receive are grounded in medical expertise, not just automated reporting. From cytopathology and cytogenetics to molecular diagnostics and anatomic pathology, PathGroup brings sub-specialized depth to every result.
Practices also benefit from PathGroup’s extensive managed care network, which supports patient affordability and broad insurance compatibility, removing a common barrier to testing that too often goes unaddressed.
Partner with PathGroup for Women’s Health Lab Services
When you choose PathGroup, you’re choosing one of the country’s most trusted names in diagnostic laboratory medicine. PathGroup currently serves as the pathology provider for more than 250 hospitals and thousands of physician groups and surgery centers across the region, bringing the depth of a large national lab with the responsiveness of a local partner. Learn more about who we are and what drives us on our About Us page.
Our physician-led model sets us apart. Every service we offer is designed by pathologists, for clinicians, ensuring that the results your patients receive are backed by genuine medical expertise and sub-specialized knowledge across cytopathology, cytogenetics, molecular diagnostics, and anatomic pathology.