Outcomes of interest

The outcomes of interest included: (1) neonatal mortality (including all cause mortality, mortality from EOGBS infection or infections caused by bacteria other than GBS); (2) neonatal infection [including all cause infections, GBS infection, EOGBS infection (symptoms and signs of sepsis or pneumonia in a neonate born to a GBS positive mother, and positive GBS bacterial cultures which from normally sterile body fluids obtained from the neonate), LOGBS infection (infection due to GBS in an infant at least seven days old), and infections caused by bacteria other than GBS]; and (3) neonatal GBS colonization (swabs sampled in external ear, nose, throat, umbilicus, and rectum within 24 h of birth were cultured GBS positive).