Guidelines for Duration of Antibiotics During Labor Refuted

Jessica Illuzzi The intensive and prolonged observation of infants at risk for group B streptococcus (GBS) may not benefit the infant and may heighten parental anxiety, researchers at Yale School of Medicine report in a recent article in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines recommend at least four hours of antibiotics to treat GBS in pregnant women in labor. About 50 percent of women with GBS are unable to receive the full four hours of treatment due to rapid labor and delivery. The CDC considers their newborns “at risk” for GBS and recommends blood tests and 48 hours of observation in the hospital.