Children who survive invasive group B streptococcal disease as infants remain at increased risk of death as well as cognitive and motor impairment years later, according to landmark European research.

The cohort study is the first to quantify the long-term sequelae of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease in high-income countries and comes as vaccine manufacturers race to develop a maternal vaccine.

For the study, mortality and neurological impairment data for 2258 Danish and Dutch children, who developed GBS by the age of 89 days, was compared against that for 22,462 matched controls without GBS history.

Among the GBS group, 1763 (78%) had experienced sepsis, mostly occurring within the first 72 hours of life, 366 meningitis and 129 pneumonia.