A history of neonatal group B streptococcus with its related morbidity and mortality rates in the United States.

The history of neonatal sepsis related to early onset group B streptococcus (GBS) emerged in the early 1970s. The neonatal mortality rate was 55% for those neonates with invasive GBS disease. The first adopted guidelines by the medical community to prevent early onset GBS were developed in the 1990s. One year after implementation of the guidelines, the mortality rate dropped to approximately 5%. Despite the great accomplishments in reducing the mortality rate, GBS remains the number one cause of infant morbidity and mortality in the United States.