Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCan Babies Get Strep?GAS vs. GBS InfectionSigns of Strep in KidsAre You a Carrier?When Kids Need a Strep TestTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Can Babies Get Strep?
GAS vs. GBS Infection
Signs of Strep in Kids
Are You a Carrier?
When Kids Need a Strep Test
Treatment
Strep throat in babies and toddlers under 3 years old is rare. Babies who are diagnosed withstrep throatusually have mild symptoms that may include fever, irritability, and difficulty feeding.
Group BStreptococcus(group B strep or GBS) does not cause strep throat, but the bacteria can lead to serious illness, especially in babies.
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Yes, babies can get strep throat, but it is rare. Even when babies contract strep throat, their symptoms are usually mild and do not require treatment. However, children over age 3 are more likely to get sick with strep throat and have a higher risk of experiencing complications.
Average Age of Infection
Strep throatis most common in children aged 5 to 15. Sore throats and respiratory illnesses are common in kids of all ages. Each year there are about 11 million visits to ambulatory care centers for a sore throat in children ages 3 to 18.Strep throatmakes up about 20% to 30% of those cases. Strep throat tends to be more common during the coldest months of the year.
Group A strep (GAS) is the bacteria that causes strep throat and other illnesses (likeimpetigoandscarlet fever).Group B strep (GBS)is a type of bacteria that generally lives in the body, namely in the gastrointestinal and genital tracts, and usually does not cause illness.
Pregnant people can be carriers of GBS without knowing it. This bacteria can then be passed to their babies during childbirth, leading to serious illness.
In the United States, GBS bacteria are the leading cause ofbloodstream infectionsandmeningitisin a newborn’s first three months of life.
Testing for GBS Pre-Labor
It is recommended that all pregnant people betested for GBSbefore they go intolabor, as GBS is found in the vagina and the rectum. GBS can be passed from pregnant parent to child during the birth process.
When you arepregnant, your healthcare provider will recommend a GBS screening sometime between 36 and 38 weeks of pregnancy.Your healthcare provider will take a sample from the vagina and the rectum to culture. If your culture comes back positive for GBS, intravenous (IV) antibiotics will be administered to you once labor starts.
Children over age 3 are most likely to experiencestrep throat symptoms. Signs of strep throat usually present about two to five days after being exposed. Common signs of strep throat in school-aged children and teenagers include:
Children under 3 are much less likely to experience strep throat. When they do, the symptoms are often mild and may include:
These symptoms include:
Are You a Carrier if You’re Breastfeeding?
It is possible for both children and adults to be carriers of strep. Carriers would test positive if tested for strep but have no symptoms.
During Pregnancy
It is possible for pregnant people to be carriers of strep. Most carriers of both GAS and GBS are not aware that they carry the bacteria. All pregnant people should be screened for GBS towards the end of their pregnancies.
Your healthcare provider will recommend a strep test for your child when they strongly suspect that your child has strep throat. It’s estimated that strep throat is the cause of about 20% to 30% of sore throats in children and 5% to 15% of sore throats in adults.
If your child has a sore throat with classic viral symptoms, they most likely do not have strep throat. It is not recommended to test for strep in children who have the following virus symptoms:
Strep throat can be detected with a rapid antigen detection test (RADT) or a throat culture. These tests are highly sensitive. Testing is usually not recommended for adults or children under age 3, although exposure or symptoms may indicate a need.
Risks of Untreated Strep Throat
While it is rare, untreated strep throat can lead to serious complications in children. Possible complications include:
Treatment Period
Children with strep throat need toreceive treatment, usually with antibiotics, as soon as possible to relieve the symptoms and reduce the risk of spreading the illness.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are prescribed to treat strep throat. Taking antibiotics as prescribed can shorten the duration of symptoms and help prevent possible complications.
The recommended antibiotics for strep throat arepenicillinor Moxatag (amoxicillin). If your child has apenicillin allergy, your healthcare provider may recommend cephalexin, cefadroxil, Cleocin (clindamycin), Zithromax (azithromycin), or Biaxin (clarithromycin).
Limiting Spread
Strep throat is very contagious among children and easily spreads in crowded environments like schools and daycares. To limit the spread, children should stay home until they are fever-free (afebrile) and have been taking antibiotics for at least 12 hours.
Home Remedies
Strep throat can be painful for children. Fortunately, antibiotic therapy provides relief quickly. In addition, gargling with warm salt water can help relieve throat pain. Tylenol (acetaminophen) can also relieve pain and reduce the discomfort from a fever.
Summary
It is rare for babies to be diagnosed with strep throat. It is possible, though, for babies to become seriously ill from group B strep bacteria, which does not cause strep th. Most pregnant people are screened for GBS before going into labor, so they do not pass it on to their babies.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group a streptococcal pharyngitis.Sharif M, Aalinezhad M, Sajad Sajadian S, Rezaei M.Streptococcal pharyngitis in a two-month-old infant: A case report.Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2016 Mar;9(5):e32630. doi:10.5812/jjm.32630Steer P, Russell A, Kochhar S, Cox P, Plumb J, Gopal Rao G.Group B streptococcal disease in the mother and newborn—A review.Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020 Sep;252(1):526-533. doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.06.024American Academy of Pediatrics.Can infants get strep throat?Thompson TZ, McMullen AR.Group A Streptococcus testing in pediatrics: The move to point-of-care molecular testing.J Clin Microbiol. 2020;58(6):e01494-19. doi:10.1128/JCM.01494-19Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Group B strep surveillance and trends.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About group B strep disease.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Group B strep and pregnancy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of group B strep.Ching NS, Buttery JP, Lai E, et al.Breastfeeding and risk of late-onset group b streptococcal disease.Pediatrics. 2021;148(3):e2020049561. doi:10.1542/peds.2020-049561American Academy of Pediatrics.Pregnant moms: Get Tested for group B strep.American Academy of Pediatrics.Group A streptococcal infections.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group a streptococcal pharyngitis.Sharif M, Aalinezhad M, Sajad Sajadian S, Rezaei M.Streptococcal pharyngitis in a two-month-old infant: A case report.Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2016 Mar;9(5):e32630. doi:10.5812/jjm.32630Steer P, Russell A, Kochhar S, Cox P, Plumb J, Gopal Rao G.Group B streptococcal disease in the mother and newborn—A review.Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020 Sep;252(1):526-533. doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.06.024American Academy of Pediatrics.Can infants get strep throat?Thompson TZ, McMullen AR.Group A Streptococcus testing in pediatrics: The move to point-of-care molecular testing.J Clin Microbiol. 2020;58(6):e01494-19. doi:10.1128/JCM.01494-19Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Group B strep surveillance and trends.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About group B strep disease.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Group B strep and pregnancy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of group B strep.Ching NS, Buttery JP, Lai E, et al.Breastfeeding and risk of late-onset group b streptococcal disease.Pediatrics. 2021;148(3):e2020049561. doi:10.1542/peds.2020-049561American Academy of Pediatrics.Pregnant moms: Get Tested for group B strep.American Academy of Pediatrics.Group A streptococcal infections.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group a streptococcal pharyngitis.Sharif M, Aalinezhad M, Sajad Sajadian S, Rezaei M.Streptococcal pharyngitis in a two-month-old infant: A case report.Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2016 Mar;9(5):e32630. doi:10.5812/jjm.32630Steer P, Russell A, Kochhar S, Cox P, Plumb J, Gopal Rao G.Group B streptococcal disease in the mother and newborn—A review.Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020 Sep;252(1):526-533. doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.06.024American Academy of Pediatrics.Can infants get strep throat?Thompson TZ, McMullen AR.Group A Streptococcus testing in pediatrics: The move to point-of-care molecular testing.J Clin Microbiol. 2020;58(6):e01494-19. doi:10.1128/JCM.01494-19Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Group B strep surveillance and trends.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About group B strep disease.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Group B strep and pregnancy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of group B strep.Ching NS, Buttery JP, Lai E, et al.Breastfeeding and risk of late-onset group b streptococcal disease.Pediatrics. 2021;148(3):e2020049561. doi:10.1542/peds.2020-049561American Academy of Pediatrics.Pregnant moms: Get Tested for group B strep.American Academy of Pediatrics.Group A streptococcal infections.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group a streptococcal pharyngitis.
Sharif M, Aalinezhad M, Sajad Sajadian S, Rezaei M.Streptococcal pharyngitis in a two-month-old infant: A case report.Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2016 Mar;9(5):e32630. doi:10.5812/jjm.32630
Steer P, Russell A, Kochhar S, Cox P, Plumb J, Gopal Rao G.Group B streptococcal disease in the mother and newborn—A review.Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020 Sep;252(1):526-533. doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.06.024
American Academy of Pediatrics.Can infants get strep throat?
Thompson TZ, McMullen AR.Group A Streptococcus testing in pediatrics: The move to point-of-care molecular testing.J Clin Microbiol. 2020;58(6):e01494-19. doi:10.1128/JCM.01494-19
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Group B strep surveillance and trends.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About group B strep disease.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Group B strep and pregnancy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of group B strep.
Ching NS, Buttery JP, Lai E, et al.Breastfeeding and risk of late-onset group b streptococcal disease.Pediatrics. 2021;148(3):e2020049561. doi:10.1542/peds.2020-049561
American Academy of Pediatrics.Pregnant moms: Get Tested for group B strep.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Group A streptococcal infections.
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