No abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the endocervical microflora of women in preterm and term labour and to determine whether the presence of a specific microflora is significantly associated with preterm labour. A prospective study was performed in Lithuania among 212 women in preterm labour (latent phase, n = 110; active phase, n = 102) and among 62 healthy women in term labour. Microbiological assessment included cultures for aerobic bacteria, yeasts, and Trichomonasvaginalis and direct immunofluorescence reaction for Chlamydiatrachomatis, Escherichiacoli (odds ratio 8.16; 95% confidence interval 1.27–340.23) and Staphylococcusaureus (odds ratio 7.79; 95% confidence interval 1.21-325.40) were significantly more often isolated from women in preterm than from women in term labour. The prevalence of C. trachomatis was the same in the preterm and in the term labour group. The pregnancy outcome during the latent or the active phase of preterm labour with or without C. trachomatis infection did not differ. It is concluded that E. coli and S. aureus are significantly more prevalent in endocervical cultures from Lithuanian women in preterm than from those in term labour.

Escherichia coli bacteremia was detected in a significant proportion of stillborns suffering a third trimester prelabor death. Fetal bacteremia significantly correlated with histologic signs of inflammation in placenta and membranes. Ascending subclinical intrauterine infection may play an important role in the etiology of otherwise unexplained late prelabor fetal death.

Escherichia coli bacteremia was detected in a significant proportion of stillborns suffering a third trimester prelabor death. Fetal bacteremia significantly correlated with histologic signs of inflammation in placenta and membranes. Ascending subclinical intrauterine infection may play an important role in the etiology of otherwise unexplained late prelabor fetal death.