GBS colonization: prevalence and the impact of smoking in women
delivering term or near term neonates in a large tertiary care hospital;
a retrospective chart review
Abstract
Objective We explored the association of smoking and GBS colonization
among women delivering neonates 35 weeks+. Design Retrospective chart
review Setting A large tertiary care inner-city hospital in the southern
United States Population/Sample 803 women pregnant women of term or near
term neonates Methods The electronic health records of a convenience
sample. Main Outcome Measures The outcome variable of interest was
maternal GBS colonization. The primary independent variable of interest
was tobacco smoking during pregnancy. Results The prevalence of maternal
GBS colonization was 32% among the study population. In the univariate
analyses, factors associated with maternal GBS colonization were tobacco
smoking during pregnancy (P of trend <0.001), Race (African
Americans with the highest colonization rates and East Asians the
lowest; P<0.001), maternal age <20 years (P=0.006),
low birthweight <2500 gm (P=0.02), maternal drug use (P=004),
and gestational age <37 (P=0.041). Gestational diabetes,
parity, and gender were not predictive of GBS colonization. In the
multiple logistic regression analysis, Women who smoked during pregnancy
were more than twice more likely to be colonized than their non-smoking
counterparts (OR=2.6; 95% CI=1.5- 4.6; p<0.001). Maternal age
was the only other significant predictor with young mothers <
20 years more than one and a half time more likely to be colonized than
their older counterparts (OR= 1.65; 95% CI=1.02-2.68; P=0.04).
Conclusion Smoking during pregnancy was identified as an independent
risk factor for GBS colonization. This is another reason that women
should refrain from smoking during pregnancy to avoid risking their
babies developing GBS disease.