Abstract

Introduction: Streptococcus agalactiae or β-hemolytic streptococcus (GBS) is the main cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in the world. This bacterium colonizes the vaginal tract of the pregnant woman, and the newborn is infected during birth. Worldwide it is estimated that between 10- 40% of pregnant women carrythis bacterium. In Chile, thelaststudyconducted from 2010-2012 in a clinic in the southern region reported a presence of GBS in 14% during pregnancy. However, a larger number of studies are required to confirm this observation at national level. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted between 2011 and 2017 of 9.929 clinical records of pregnant patients in Clinic Hospital of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. The inclusion criteria were normal pregnancy at 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy, and the exclusion criterion was treatment with antibiotics during this period. Results: Out of a total of 9.929 clinical records analyzed, 1.117 clinical records reported the detection of Streptococcus agalactiae, which correspondsto acarrier of 11.2%. Also, we observed six cases of fetal death at term of pregnancy, and four of them had a positive result for GBS detection at 35-37 weeks of gestation. Conclusions: The carrier proportion for GBS was slightly lower than that published in 2014, like that reported in high-income countries in the world. Risk factors associated to GBS carrying include the socioeconomic level of the study population, after that, the additional analysis in family care centers from Public Health System in Chile may be useful to confirm the real burden of GBS-related maternal and perinatal risk in our country.