Lifestyle Changes, Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), Ureaplasma Mycoplasma (UM) Species and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome in Albanian Women

INTRODUCTION It was not so long ago, when presence of bacterial vaginosis in Albanian pregnant women was almost irrelevant. Species like Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma, were not in the eyes of everyday practice. Rapidly lifestyle changes have brought these infections to escalate into 51.5 % in pregnant women alone. The numbers climb higher in the non-pregnant population. AIM This study, works towards drawing a connection between lifestyle changes, bacterial vaginosis, UM species and adverse pregnancy outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective study of pregnant women followed up over a 5 year period in our practice. After exclusion criteria were applied, the remaining group of 1482 women were carefully followed till pregnancy term. Vaginal discharge collected from the cervix was cultured with commercial kits and thereafter read for presence of bacterial load, with careful attention to BV and UM species. Detailed study of the patients charts, containing anamnesis, sonographic evaluation, laboratory results was also performed and lifestyle indicators were considered as variables for the study RESULTS The overall incidence of UM species reported by this study, was 51.5 %. Co-infection with other bacterial vaginosis was estimated to be 58 %. The preterm rate in the infected subgroup was 5 % compared to 8 % of the overall preterm rate in both maternities of Tirana for the same period of time. Presence of UM (OR=3.1, 5 %CI 1.8-4.5, p