Perinatal infection screening and prevention — case

Case summary

A term male is born at 39 weeks by spontaneous vaginal delivery after 18 hours of ruptured membranes. The mother is known to be Group B Streptococcus positive on a 36-week swab, but she received only one dose of intravenous benzylpenicillin two hours before delivery. Her booking antenatal screens were normal except that she is hepatitis B surface antigen positive. At four hours of age the infant is grunting, tachypnoeic (respiratory rate 72) and has cool peripheries and poor feeding. ^{[1] [3]}