Prevalence of Group B Streptococcus in Pregnant Women in Iran A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS or S. agalactiae) is a major cause of severe disease in neonates. In perinatal infections or early-onset disease, GBS is transmitted vertically to the newborn from the birth canal during labor and delivery. Limited information is available on the prevalence of GBS recto-vaginal colonization among pregnant women in Iran. Methods: We performed a systematic search by using different electronic databases including Medline (via Pubmed), Embase, Web of Science and Iranian Database. Meta-analysis was performed by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (Biostat V2.2) software. Results: Of 250 articles published from January 2000 to September 2016, 25 studies that reported incidence of GBS colonization in pregnant women were included in this review. The meta-analyses showed that the prevalence of GBS colonization among Iranian pregnant women was 9.8% (95% confidence interval, 7.9-12). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that GBS screening measures and chemoprophylaxis guidelines concerning GBS infections must be established for pregnant women in Iran, and these guidelines must provide guidance for obstetricians, midwives and neonatologists on the prevention of GBS infections.