Infections, bacterial flora and risk of preterm birth
Ureaplasma and female and male fertility According to a very recent study, the type of bacterial flora present in a woman’s body could increase the risk of preterm birth. The bacterial flora, the one that normally resides in the human body, plays an important role in health and in particular during pregnancy.
The study evaluated the vaginal, oral and intestinal bacterial flora during and after pregnancy in 49 women aged 18 and over.
Of these women, 15 underwent a preterm birth
Preterm birth is defined as birth occurring before 37 weeks of gestation. Worldwide, preterm births account for 11% of all births.
The study associated preterm birth with altered bacterial flora and therefore careful monitoring of changes in this flora could in some cases prevent premature deliveries.
In particular, the study showed that low levels of Lactobacillus in the vagina was related to an increased risk of preterm birth.
Furthermore, women with low levels of this bacterium and with the presence of two other bacterial species (Gardnerella and Ureaplasma) had an even higher risk of preterm birth.
If these results are confirmed by further studies, the evaluation of the vaginal bacterial flora could become a very useful diagnostic tool to understand which women are at risk of preterm birth.
The researchers also found that the composition of the vaginal bacterial flora changes dramatically around the time of childbirth in the majority of women. In particular, there is a decrease in the levels of Lactobacillus which are replaced by a diverse range of bacteria. Based on the study data, this change persists up to one year after delivery.
When the researchers compared the vaginal bacterial samples with samples from other parts of the body, they found that after delivery, the vaginal bacterial community became similar to the intestinal flora.
It is not well understood how this change in the bacterial flora occurs, or how this change could affect a woman’s health; however, it is possible that altered vaginal flora after delivery could influence a woman’s risk of having a preterm delivery in a subsequent pregnancy if conception were to occur shortly after delivery. Further in-depth studies are not necessary for this hypothesis either.
In the meantime, even during pregnancy it is advisable to adopt good daily hygiene with the right products and report to the doctor the presence of any infections that must be promptly treated.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.