[Carriage of group B beta-haemolytic streptococci among pregnant women in Iceland and colonisation of their newborn infants.].

Objective: To determine the carrier rate of group B beta-haemolytic streptococci (GBS) of pregnant women in Iceland and the colonisation of their newborns.

Material And Methods: A prospective study was conducted from October 1994 until October 1997, where culture specimens for GBS were taken from vagina and rectum of pregnant women attending the prenatal clinics at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Landspitali University Hospital and the Reykjavik Health Centre. The samples were taken at 23 and 36 weeks gestation and at delivery.