Yes, a newborn can get strep infections, and any suspected strep in a newborn needs urgent medical assessment and prompt treatment.
Hearing the word “strep” near a brand new baby can feel scary. You might picture school kids with sore throats and wonder what it means for a tiny newborn who cannot tell you how they feel. The short answer is that strep bacteria can infect newborns, but the way it happens and the signs to watch for are different from strep throat in older children.
This guide walks you through how strep infections show up in the first months of life, what red flags matter, and what newborn strep risk actually looks like day to day. It is for parents and caregivers who want clear, calm information they can use right away, while still knowing that urgent care comes first when something feels wrong.
Can A Newborn Get Strep? Early Symptoms Parents Should Know
The question can a newborn get strep? usually comes up when a baby has a fever, feeds poorly, or has a sick sibling at home. Strep is a group of bacteria, not just one disease. In newborns, the biggest concern is group B streptococcus (often shortened to group B strep or GBS). Group A strep, which causes classic strep throat, can also cause severe infections, though this is less common in the first months.
Group B strep lives in the intestines and genital tract of many adults without causing trouble. During pregnancy and birth, that bacteria can pass to a baby and lead to bloodstream infection, pneumonia, or meningitis. Health agencies describe group B strep as a leading cause of serious infections in babies younger than three months, even in places where screening in pregnancy is routine.
| Type Of Strep Problem | Typical Timing In Babies | Main Concerns |
|---|---|---|
| Early-Onset Group B Strep Sepsis | Birth to day 6 | Breathing trouble, low blood pressure, infection in blood and lungs |
| Late-Onset Group B Strep (Sepsis Or Meningitis) | Day 7 to 3 months | Fever, poor feeding, sleepier than usual, seizures in meningitis |
| Invasive Group A Strep Disease | Any time in the first months | Rapidly worsening illness, shock, tissue damage, high risk without fast care |
| Strep Throat (Group A Strep) | Rare under age 1, more common in school age | Sore throat, fever, swollen glands, but classic pattern is rare in young babies |
| Skin Or Umbilical Cord Strep Infection | First weeks of life | Redness, swelling, pus or bad smell around cord or skin folds |
| Pneumonia Linked To Strep | Often early-onset group B strep | Fast breathing, grunting, flaring nostrils, low oxygen levels |
| No Strep, Viral Illness Instead | Any time | Fever and stuffy nose with mild symptoms, baby often still feeds reasonably well |
Early symptoms of newborn strep infection can be subtle. A baby may feed less strongly, breathe faster than usual, feel too warm or cooler than normal, or seem floppy in your arms. Some babies cry in a higher-pitched way or seem harder to wake. Because babies can slide from mild symptoms to serious illness in hours, any sense that a baby looks or acts “off” deserves quick contact with urgent care or emergency services.
How Newborns Catch Strep Bacteria
To understand this concern, it helps to see where these bacteria come from. Many adults carry group B strep in the gut or vagina without feeling sick. That is why pregnant people are usually screened late in pregnancy and may receive antibiotics during labor if the test is positive. That treatment lowers the chance of early group B strep disease in the first week of life.
The CDC group B strep overview explains that, even with screening and antibiotics in labor, some babies still develop group B strep in the first three months. The risk is higher for babies born preterm, babies with prolonged rupture of membranes, and babies whose parents were not screened or did not receive antibiotics in time.
During Labor And Birth
Early-onset group B strep infections usually start because bacteria from the birth canal reach the baby before or during delivery. The baby breathes in or swallows the bacteria, which can then enter the lungs and bloodstream. Signs often appear within the first 24 hours, sometimes with fast breathing, grunting, blue or gray color, or poor tone.
After Birth At Home Or In Hospital
Late-onset strep infections can come from the baby’s own gut, from caregivers’ hands, or from sick contacts in the household. This is true for both group B strep and group A strep. An older sibling with strep throat can pass bacteria through close contact and shared items. Good handwashing, keeping sick visitors away from a newborn, and cleaning shared items like pacifiers all help lower that risk.
Newborn Strep Infections And When To Worry
Parents often spot the first signs that something is wrong. You know your baby’s usual patterns, and a change in that baseline matters. Strep infections in newborns can move fast, so red flag symptoms deserve prompt action instead of a “wait and see” approach.
Symptoms That Need Same-Day Medical Advice
Call your baby’s doctor or urgent care service the same day if you see any of these changes:
- Fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher taken with a reliable thermometer
- Temperature below 36°C (96.8°F), especially with other symptoms
- Feeding less than half of usual amount over several feeds in a row
- Vomiting most feeds or green vomit
- Much sleepier than usual, shorter periods of alert time
- New rash, especially tiny red or purple spots that do not fade when pressed
Symptoms That Need Emergency Care
Go to emergency care or call emergency services without delay if your baby:
- Breathes fast, gasps, grunts, or makes moaning sounds with each breath
- Has pauses in breathing, or the chest pulls in between the ribs
- Looks blue, gray, or mottled around the lips or face
- Feels floppy like a rag doll, or you cannot rouse them fully
- Has a bulging soft spot on the head, seizures, or unusual eye movements
- Has an umbilical cord stump or skin area that is hot, red, and spreading
These signs do not prove that strep is the cause, but they all point to serious illness. In newborns, doctors prefer to check a baby who turns out to be fine than see a baby late in the course of a life-threatening infection.
Strep Throat In Babies Versus Newborn Strep Sepsis
When people hear “strep,” they often think about strep throat. Classic strep throat with sore throat, throat spots, and swollen glands mainly affects school-age children. Medical groups say it is rare under age three and especially uncommon in the first year of life. Babies that young are more likely to have viral colds and other causes of fever.
The American Academy Of Pediatrics guidance on strep throat in infants explains that testing for strep throat is not routine in babies because the pattern of illness and risk of complications differ from older children. The bigger worry under three months is invasive infection in the blood, lungs, or brain, which is why doctors look at the whole picture instead of just the throat.
That means a baby can carry group A strep in the throat or nose without classic symptoms. If the baby looks unwell, doctors focus less on the label “strep throat” and more on ruling out sepsis and meningitis with blood tests and sometimes a lumbar puncture.
Diagnosis And Treatment For Strep In Newborns
Once a doctor suspects a serious infection in a newborn, things move quickly. Staff check breathing, heart rate, and oxygen levels, draw blood for tests, and often start broad-spectrum antibiotics through a vein while waiting for lab results. In many hospitals, any baby younger than one month with a true fever receives this level of assessment because the stakes are high.
Tests during a newborn sepsis workup can include:
- Blood tests that look for bacteria in the bloodstream
- Complete blood count and markers of inflammation
- Lumbar puncture to check for meningitis when safe to do so
- Chest X-ray if breathing symptoms suggest pneumonia
- Swabs from the throat, nose, or skin if there is a local sign of infection
If the lab tests show group B strep or group A strep, doctors tailor antibiotics to those bacteria. Treatment usually lasts at least 10 days for bloodstream infection and longer for meningitis. Babies stay in hospital for monitoring, even if they look better, because symptoms can flare again if treatment stops too soon.
| Situation | Typical Medical Response | What Parents Can Expect |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn With Fever In First Month | Hospital assessment and blood tests | Baby placed on monitor, IV started, blood drawn |
| Tests Suggest Strep Sepsis | IV antibiotics started right away | Several days or more in hospital, regular updates from staff |
| Tests Suggest Meningitis | Higher-dose IV antibiotics, close watching in specialist unit | Longer stay, frequent checks of feeding, movement, and alertness |
| Baby Improves And Tests Stay Negative | Antibiotics may stop once infection seems unlikely | Discharge with clear advice on when to return |
| Strep Throat In Older Sibling | Sibling treated with oral antibiotics | Extra handwashing and taking care around shared items |
| Newborn Exposed To Sick Contact But Well | Doctor may advise watchful waiting | Clear list of red flag symptoms to watch for at home |
| High Ongoing Risk (Preterm, Complex Conditions) | Closer follow-up and sometimes longer observation | More frequent visits and phone check-ins |
How Parents Can Lower Newborn Strep Risk
No parent can remove every germ from a baby’s world, and guilt only adds extra weight to an already stressful time. The goal is not a sterile bubble, but smart steps that lower risk where that is realistic.
Before Birth
During pregnancy, talk with your maternity team about group B strep screening. Many countries recommend a simple swab test late in pregnancy. When results show group B strep carriage, antibiotics during labor greatly cut the chance of early-onset disease. Screening guidance from agencies such as the CDC and the American Academy Of Pediatrics shapes these protocols.
In The First Weeks At Home
Handwashing with soap and water before touching the baby, cleaning feeding equipment, and keeping sick visitors away all help keep strep and other germs at bay. Ask relatives with sore throats, fevers, or skin infections to wait until they feel better before cuddling the baby. If an older child in the home has confirmed strep throat, make sure they take prescribed antibiotics as directed and try to avoid sharing utensils, towels, or drinks.
Trusting Your Instincts
You spend the most time with your baby, so you see small changes that a brief exam may miss. If your baby seems off, feeds poorly, or shows any of the red flags listed earlier, push for same-day care. Tell the nurse or doctor that your baby is a newborn, describe exactly what has changed, and mention any recent strep exposure or group B strep during pregnancy.
Online information, including this article, can guide questions and help you spot patterns, but it does not replace hands-on assessment from a pediatric team. Fast care saves lives in newborn sepsis, and no parent should feel embarrassed for asking for help early.
Main Points For Parents
Strep bacteria can infect newborns, usually as group B strep caught around birth or as invasive group A strep picked up later. Both can cause serious disease, but early care improves outcomes. Screening and antibiotics in labor lower risk, and simple habits such as handwashing and keeping sick contacts away add an extra layer of protection.
If you ever find yourself asking, “can a newborn get strep?” while looking at your own baby, pause and check the symptoms listed above. If anything makes you uneasy, reach out for medical help right away and say your baby is in the newborn age range. Quick action, clear communication, and close follow-up give babies the best chance to sail through their first brush with strep and get back to sleepy cuddles at home.