Garland SM, et al. - Given a positive correlation of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcus (GBS) sepsis with premature birth and prolonged rupture of membranes, researchers sought to ascertain whether maternal GBS colonization is a predictor of adverse obstetric outcome. Among all public patients screened antenatally for genital carriage of GBS, those colonized with GBS antenatally are provided penicillin as intrapartum chemoprophylaxis. They reviewed all GBS colonized antenatal patients for a 12-month period (580 of 4,495 patients) and made a randomized (every fourth consecutive antenatal patient) number of noncolonized patients (958). The maternal GBS colonization rate of 12.9% was identified. No significant association between antepartum GBS colonization and preterm labor and preterm rupture of membranes was noted in multivariate analysis when controlling for confounding variables. These findings support expectant management as appropriate for a GBS-colonized woman who ruptures her membranes, is not in labor, and has no evidence of sepsis.