Role of postnatal penicillin prophylaxis in prevention of neonatal group B streptococcus infection

Abstract

This prospective study was designed to identify the role of postnatal penicillin prophylaxis in the prevention of neonatal group B streptococcus (GBS) infection. We studied 10 998 infants. Of these, 5389 were in the penicillin prophylaxis group (PP) and 5609 infants did not receive penicillin prophylaxis (NPP). Infants were allocated to treatment by month of birth, alternating 3‐mo blocks or 2‐mo blocks to the two groups after the first block was randomly assigned. The use of PP reduced the incidence of clinical sepsis (1.7% PP versus 2.5% NPP, p<0.01), GBS infection (0.4% PP versus 0.9% NPP, p < 0.001) and deaths from sepsis (0.1% PP versus 0.3% NPP, p < 0.05). We conclude that the routine use of postnatal penicillin prophylaxis appears to be effective in reducing the incidence of clinical sepsis and death from sepsis in neonates. □Antimicrobial prophylaxis, group B streptococcus, neonatal sepsis

Postnatal penicillin prophylaxis of early-onset group B streptococcal infection in term newborns. A preliminary study

“…However, a Cochrane review focused on a large randomized controlled trial 24 does not support the routine use of intramuscular penicillin to prevent EOGBSD in newborn infants 14 . In summary, the evidence from uncontrolled, retrospective and non-randomized controlled prospective studies supports the use of postnatal intramuscular penicillin in newborns to prevent EOGBSD 14,25,26,27 . We do accept that routine administration of antibiotics for all newborns born to mothers who received IAP to prevent GBS disease is not recommended 5,13 .…”