title: Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Pregnant Women and its Importance for Candida Colonization of Newborns.
abstract: Vulvovaginal candidiasis is the second most common cause of vaginitis worldwide (after bacterial candidiasis). Maternal vulvovaginal candidiasis is a major risk factor for Candida colonization and infection of the infant where prognosis depends on different predisposing factors. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and the etiological structure of vulvovaginal candidiasis in pregnant women and its impact on Candida colonization of newborns.
  
  
  
  Samples of vaginal secretions from 80 healthy pregnant women who were clinically suspicious for Candida vaginitis were collected within 48 hours before delivery. Samples for probable Candida colonization from the oral mucosa and feces were collected from their newborns within 47-72 hours after birth. Samples were plated on Sabouraud agar, followed by species identification by API Candida yeast assay.
  
  
  
  Twenty-three (28.75 ± 5.06%) of the evaluated pregnant women were positive for Candida spp. Positive samples for Candida colonization were found in 18 (22.22 ± 4.62%) of the examined 81 newborns (one pair of twins) from mothers who were clinically suspicious for vaginal candidiasis. Isolates of the newborns were 100% identical to those of the mothers' vaginal secretion. Candida albicans was the predominant species identified in the pregnant women (91.67 ± 0.06%) and in the neonates (83.33±8.78%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Plovdiv, St George University Hospital, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Liliya G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Zisova
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Plovdiv, St George University Hospital, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Anastasia A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Chokoeva
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Plovdiv, St George University Hospital, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Georgi I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Amaliev
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Plovdiv, St George University Hospital, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Penka V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Petleshkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Tsonka М
authors.initials: TМ
authors.lastname: Miteva-Katrandzhieva
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Plovdiv, St George University Hospital, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Maya B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Krasteva
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Plovdiv, St George University Hospital, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Ekaterina H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Uchikova
authors.affiliation: National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Andrei H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kouzmanov
authors.affiliation: National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria
authors.forename: Zoya V
authors.initials: ZV
authors.lastname: Ivanova
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002181:Candidiasis, Vulvovaginal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult