(HealthDay News) -- One of the first steps expectant moms should take is to protect a growing fetus from harmful infections, including group B strep.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends:

  • Understand the potential risks of group B strep. If passed to your baby during childbirth, complications can be serious, sometimes fatal.
  • Your doctor should test you for group B strep by the time you are 35- to-37-weeks pregnant. If you're not given the test, ask for it.
  • Talk to your doctor if your test is positive. You will be prescribed an antibiotic to protect your baby, so be sure to alert your care team if you are allergic to penicillin or other antibiotics.
  • If you haven't been tested and go into labor early, ask your doctor if you should have an antibiotic.