Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in preterm and term labour: a one year study

Authors

  • Chembetei Kavitha Kiran Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Narayana Medical College, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India
  • Jithendra Kandati Department of Microbiology, Narayana Medical College, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India
  • Munilakshmi Ponugoti Department of Microbiology, Narayana Medical College, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20172072

Keywords:

Amsels’s criteria, Bacterial vaginosis, Preterm labour, Term labour

Abstract

Background: Presence of intra uterine infections is one of the important risk factors for preterm labour. Bacterial vaginosis is one of the commonest genital infections during pregnancy and the prevalence ranges from 4 to 64% depending upon the racial, geographic factors. Most of the cases of bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy are asymptomatic and goes unrecognized. Some of the studies state that treatment of bacterial vaginosis is not associated with reduction in preterm birth rates among mothers with no history of preterm birth. The present was conducted to study the prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in women presenting with preterm labour and term labour and to analyze the causal relationship between bacterial vaginosis and preterm labour. The study also recorded the outcome of maternal and neonatal complications associated with bacterial vaginosis

Methods: An observational study was conducted on 100 patients with preterm and term labour. Swabs were collected from all the patients and bacterial vaginosis was diagnosed based on Amsel’s criteria. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to demonstrate the difference between both groups with respect to various categorical data. Independent t- test was used to compare the mean maternal age and mean gestational age at admission in both the groups.

Results: The mean maternal age of members in preterm labour was 25.60+4.295 and of term labour was 25.38 ± 4.01 years. Among preterm labour group only 14 cases were suggestive of bacterial vaginosis and 2 cases among 25 cases in labour group. The proportion of cases who were diagnosed as BV positive based on Amsel’s criteria were found more in preterm labour group than term labour group and was found statistically significant (p value = 0.001). Significantly more number of patients in preterm labour group demonstrated culture swab positivity with pathogenic organisms than in term labour group and was found statistically significant with p value=0.048.

Conclusions: The present study clearly demonstrates significant association of preterm labour with bacterial vaginosis. Therefore, the screening for bacterial vaginosis as a routine during pregnancy and its prompt treatment may reduce the risk of preterm labour. This will also go a long way in the prevention of neonatal complications due to prematurity.

References

McCormick MC. The contribution of low birth weight to infant mortality and childhood morbidity. N Engl J Med. 1985;312:82-90.

Romero R, Mazor M. Infection and preterm labor. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1988;31:553-84.

Guaschino S, De Seta F, Piccoli M, Maso G, Alberico S. Aetiology of preterm labour: bacterial vaginosis. BJOG. 2006;113(Suppl 3):46-51.

Donders GG, Van Bulck B, Caudron J, Londers L, Vereecken A, Spitz B. Relationship of bacterial vaginosis and mycoplasmas to the risk of spontaneous abortion. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2000;183:431-7.

Lamont RF, Anthony F, Myatt L, Booth L, Furr PM, Taylor-Robinson D. Production of prostaglandin E2 by human amnion in vitro in response to addition of media conditioned by microorganisms associated with chorioamnionitis and preterm labor. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1990;162:819-25.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Assessment of risk factors for preterm birth. Clinical management guidelines for obstetrician-gynecologists. ACOG Practice Bulletin. J Obstet Gynecol. 2001;98(4):709-16.

Priestley CJ, Jones BM, Dhar J, Goodwin L. What is normal vaginal flora? Genitourin Med. 1997;73:23-8.

Hillier SL. Diagnostic microbiology of bacterial vaginosis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1993;169:455-9.

Newton ER, Piper J, Peairs W. Bacterial vaginosis and intraamniotic infection. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1997;176:672-7.

Chawanpaiboon S, Pimol K. Bacterial vaginosis in threatened preterm, preterm and term labour. J Med Assoc Thai. 2010;93(12):1351-5.

Leitich H, Bodner-Adler B, Brunbauer M, Kaider A, Egarter C, Husslein P. Bacterial vaginosis as a risk factor for preterm delivery: a meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003;189:139-47.

Azargoon A, Darvishzadeh S. Association of bacterial vaginosis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and vaginal acidity with outcome of pregnancy. Arch Iran Med. 2006;9(3):213-7.

Nwosu CO, Djieyep NA. Candidiasis and trichomoniasis among pregnant women in a rural community in the semiarid zone, north-eastern Nigeria. West Afr J Med. 2007;26(1):17-9.

Giraldo PC, Ara´ujo ED, Junior J, Amaral RLG, Passos MRL, Gonsalves AK. The prevalence of urogenital infections in pregnant women experiencing preterm and full-term labor. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol. 2012;2012.

Sangita, Mittal A, Chandra P, Gill AK. Incidence of Gardnerella vaginalis in preterm labour. Obstet Gynecol Today. 1999;4(5):299-303.

Svare JA, Schmidt H, Hansen BB, Lose G. Bacterial vaginosis in a cohort of Danish pregnant women: prevalence and relationship with preterm delivery, low birthweight and perinatal infections. BJOG. 2006;113(12):1419-25.

Hillier SL, Nugent RP, Eschenbach DA, Krohn MA, Gibbs RS, Martin DH et al. Association between bacterial vaginosis and preterm delivery of a low-birth-weight infant. The Vaginal Infections and Prematurity Study Group. N Engl J Med. 1995;333(26):1737-42.

Subtil D, Denoit V, Le Gouëff F, Husson MO, Trivier D, Puech F. The role of bacterial vaginosis in preterm labor and preterm birth: a case-control study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2002;101(1):41-6.

Benchetrit LC, Francalanza SE, Peregrino H, Camelo AA, Sanches LA. Carriage of Streptococcus agalactiae in women and neonates and distribution of serological types: a study in Brazil. J Clini Microbiol. 1982;15(5):787-90.

Hay PE, Morgan DJ, Ison CA, Bhide SA, Romney M, McKenzie P et al. A longitudinal study of bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1994;101(12):1048-53.

Downloads

Published

2017-05-25

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles