The Medical Journal of Basrah University

Abstract

ABSTRACT This prospective case control study was carried out over a nine-month-period (from 1st of April until the end of December 2002) in Basrah maternity & children hospital to assess the association between bacterial vaginosis and preterm labour & to compare it with those who delivered at term. Data were collected & analyzed on 179 women in spontaneous labour. Seventy two with preterm labour (cases) & one hundred seven at term (controls). This study has confirmed that Gardnerella vaginalis was the commonest bacterial pathogen isolated from women with preterm labour, it was detected in 17 out of 72 women with preterm labour (23.6%) in comparison to 2 of 107(1.9%) women who delivered at term (P value <0.01), followed by group B. streptococci in 4(5.5%), E. coli in 2 (2.8%), Proteus in 1(1.4), Streptococcus fecalis in 1(1.4%) & N. gonorrhoea in 1(1.4 %). In addition to bacteria listed above, Trichomonas vaginalis was detected in 4(5.5%) of women with preterm labour. The state of membranes were studied and it was found that 72.3% of women with preterm labour had premature rupture of the membranes in comparison to 39.2% of control (P :< 0.001), while the frequency of sexual contact was not statistically different among both groups. It can be concluded from these results that bacterial vaginosis was detected in a significant number of women with preterm delivery and premature rupture of the membranes, screening for bacterial vaginosis is recommended and further studies are required to evaluate the treatment of bacterial vaginosis and its role in the reduction of preterm birth.