Effect of daily vaginal disinfection on duration of gestation after premature rupture of the membranes and on infant outcome.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the effects of daily vaginal disinfection on the interval between premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) and delivery and on infant outcome.


METHODS
Daily vaginal disinfection with povidone iodine was performed on 43 women with PROM. The control group consisted of 59 women with PROM who did not undergo vaginal disinfection. In both groups, the infants born to these women were followed until 1 year of corrected age.


RESULTS
The degree of cervical dilatation, the leukocyte count, and the serum C-reactive protein level on admission did not differ between the 2 groups. Although there was no difference in the gestational week at delivery between the groups, the interval between PROM and delivery was significantly longer in the disinfectant group than among the control subjects (9.5 +/- 14.9 days vs. 3.9 +/- 5.1 days, p < 0.01). There was no difference in infant outcome between the 2 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that daily vaginal disinfection with povidone iodine prolongs the duration of gestation in women with PROM and dose not have an adverse effect on the fetus.
Watanabe
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan.
Minakami
H
H
Matsubara
S
S
Honma
Y
Y
Uchida
A
A
Sato
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001034:Apgar Score; D001724:Birth Weight; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D004203:Disinfection; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012312:Ritodrine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015149:Tocolytic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology*
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D015149:Tocolytic Agents; D011206:Povidone-Iodine; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D012312:Ritodrine