VAGINAL COLONIZATION AND PRETERM BIRTH

Preterm birth is a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Considerable evidence suggests that infections play a key role in causing women to have preterm labour and delivery. The specific bacteria found in the amniotic fluid and the placenta in association with premature birth are thought to come from the vagina. This is especially true in women with bacterial vaginosis. The aim of the study was to assess the association of vaginal colonization from M. hominis and U. urealyticum with preterm birth. We evaluated the genital mycoplasmas from a total of 172 vaginal swabs from pregnant and non women who admitted at the department of obstetrics in Obstetric Gynaecology University Hospital “Koco Gliozheni”, Tirana, Albania, between 2015 and 2019. The mean age of women was 28.6 (±6.10) years with a range 16-57 years. 132 (76.7%) of them were pregnant. Independent risk factors for preterm birth in multivariate logistic regression resulted U. urealyticum (p=0.03), and mixed infections (p=0.001). U urealyticum, is an independent risk factor of preterm birth. The testing for bacterial vaginosis and its prompt treatment may reduce the risk of preterm labour.