The hypervirulent group B Streptococcus clone CC17 accounts for the majority of infant late-onset disease (LOD). We provide evidence that the high incidence of CC17 in LOD is likely due to an enhanced post-delivery mother-to-infant transmission.

Objectives(1) Assess the population-level probability of prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly for four major congenital heart defects; (2) Examine, using population-based data, the relation between timing of (prenatal vs postnatal) diagnosis and risk of infant (ie, < 1 year) mortality for four major congenital heart defects (CHDs).DesignPopulation-based cohort (the EPIdémiologie des CARDiopathies congénitales) study.SettingGreater Paris area (Paris and its surrounding suburbs).PatientsThree hundred and fifty-four cases of four major CHDs, including functionally univentricular heart (FUH, N=132), d-transposition of great arteries (d-TGA, N=85), tetralogy of Fallot (TOF, N=60) and coarctation of aorta (CoA, N=77). Statistical analysis included the Mantel-Haenszel method and a test of homogeneity of risk ratios.ResultsApproximately 95% of FUH, more than two-thirds of d-TGA and TOF, and 40% of CoA were prenatally diagnosed. Overall, we did not find any statistically significant association between timing of (prenatal vs postnatal) diagnosis of CHD and risk of infant mortality (Mantel-Haenszel risk ratio 1.1, 95% CI 0.5 – 2.7); and the differences between the risk ratios of the association between prenatal diagnosis and infant mortality across the four CHDs was not statistically significant.ConclusionThese results imply that at least in the settings where specialised services are readily available, survival may no longer be the most relevant outcome, or the best criterion, for evaluating the impact of prenatal diagnosis on the outcome of CHD. The beneficial effects of prenatal diagnosis may be better sought by looking at more ’subtle' or long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of neonatal infections in industrialized countries. Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) given to colonized parturients is a key step for the prevention of neonatal early-onset infection. We compared the performances of Xpert® GBS polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) as a point-of-care system in labor wards to standard culture for intrapartum GBS detection. Pregnant women with a GBS-positive antenatal screening were prospectively included. A vaginal double swab was collected at the time of delivery for point-of-care Xpert® GBS PCR and GBS culture. A total of 565 pregnant women were included. Valid Xpert® GBS results were obtained for 488 (86.4%) women on the first attempt. Repeat testing improved the PCR success to 516 (91.3%) women. Among the 305 women positive for GBS by culture at delivery, only 238 (78.0%) were positive by Xpert® GBS PCR, cycle thresholds being correlated to culture quantification. Among 260 women negative for GBS culture, 56 (21.5%) were positive by Xpert® GBS PCR, including 50 where IAP was initiated before vaginal sampling. Overall, among the 565 women with GBS antenatal positive culture, only 335 (59.3%) were still positive at delivery whatever the technique used, resulting in unnecessary IAP for 40% of them. This large cohort study comparing intrapartum to antepartum GBS detection provides evidence that (i) Xpert® GBS PCR might be a valuable solution for intrapartum GBS detection compared to culture-based strategies and (ii) laboratory training of non-specialized staff is mandatory to reach the performances required for point-of-care tests.