Korean J Perinatol.  2013 Sep;24(3):142-147. 10.14734/kjp.2013.24.3.142.

Group B Streptococcal Meningitis in Neonate: 2001-2011

• Cheong J
• Byun SY
• Kim MJ

• KMID: 2280933
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14734/kjp.2013.24.3.142

Abstract

PURPOSE
Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis and meningitis. Little is known about neonatal GBS infection in Korea. We investigated the clinical characteristics of GBS meningitis in neonate.
METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed 15 medical records of patients who diagnosed neonatal GBS meningitis admitted to two tertiary centers from January 2001 to December 2011. We analyzed the patient's characteristics, clinical symptoms and signs at admission, laboratory findings, and short-term outcomes at discharge.
RESULTS
Among a total of 15 patients, five patients had early GBS meningitis and ten patients had late GBS meningitis. The most frequent clinical onset time was after three weeks of age. The major clinical symptom was respiratory difficulty in early GBS meningitis and fever in late GBS meningitis. The mortality rate was 6.7%. Among 15 patients, eight patients (53.3%) had abnormalities on neuroimaging studies at discharge and most of these patients were late GBS meningitis.
CONCLUSION
Late GBS meningitis was the majority of neonatal GBS meningitis and had poor short-term neurological outcomes. To prevent the late GBS meningitis, we need to nation-wide preventive study including the incidence, mortality, and long-term outcomes of neonatal GBS meningitis.

Keyword

Neonatal meningitis; Group B streptococcus

MeSH Terms

Fever
Humans
Incidence
Infant, Newborn*
Korea
Medical Records
Meningitis*
Mortality
Neuroimaging
Retrospective Studies
Sepsis
Streptococcus