Assessing the relationship between preterm delivery and various microorganisms recovered from the lower genital tract.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if the likelihood of preterm delivery is more dependent on the specific organisms present in the vagina than on the presence of bacterial vaginosis.


METHODS
We evaluated the vaginal fluid of a prospective cohort of women at 23-32 weeks of gestation with signs and symptoms of preterm labor and intact membranes. Forward stepwise logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between preterm delivery and the presence of anaerobic bacteria, Gardnerella, ureaplasmas and mycoplasmas, and sialidase.


RESULTS
The cohort included 137 women, and complete delivery information was available for 134 of them. The rate of preterm delivery was 28% (37 of 134). Mycoplasma genitalium independently was associated with spontaneous preterm delivery (OR 3.48; 95% CI 1.41, 8.57). After controlling for this factor, none of the other variables were significantly prognostic for spontaneous preterm delivery (residual overall p = 0.19).


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of Mycoplasma genitalium in the vagina of pregnant women is an independent risk factor for spontaneous preterm delivery.
Edwards
Rodney K
RK
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610-0294, USA. edwardsr@obgyn.ufl.edu
Ferguson
Ronald J
RJ
Reyes
Leticia
L
Brown
Mary
M
Theriaque
Douglas W
DW
Duff
Patrick
P
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D045704:Mycoplasma genitalium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology*; D016585:Vaginosis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*