1 Channing Laboratories, 714 Albany, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
A case of septicemia due to beta-hemolytic streptococcus, Lancefield group G, in a premature newborn is reported. Maternal intrapartum transmission was suggested by isolation of identical organisms from the mother's vagina and the infant's blood, and onset of clinical illness at birth. With the increasing incidence of neonatal infections due to hemolytic streptococci, the importance of accurate identification of precise Lancefield group is emphasized.