Abstract
Pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are reported to be at increased risk for infections of the genital tract. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV) and Candida colonization at early gestation between pregnant women with and without diabetic conditions during pregnancy. We included data from 8, 486 singleton pregnancies that underwent an antenatal infection screen-and-treat programme at our department. All women with GDM or pre-existing diabetes were retrospectively assigned to the diabetic group (DIAB), whereas non-diabetic women served as controls (CON). Prevalence for BV and Candida colonization was 9% and 14% in the DIAB group, and 9% and 13% in the CON group, respectively (n.s.). No significant difference regarding stillbirth and preterm delivery (PTD), defined as a delivery earlier than 37 + 0 (37 weeks plus 0 days) weeks of gestation was found. We could not find an increased risk of colonization with vaginal pathogens at early gestation in pregnant women with diabetes, compared to non-diabetic women. Large prospective studies are needed to evaluate the long-term risk of colonization with vaginal pathogens during the course of pregnancy in these women.
Highlights
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is known to be a crucial factor for preterm delivery (PTD), causing up to 40 percent of premature births [1,2,3]
Out of the diabetic group (DIAB) group, 61.2% of the women were diagnosed with IGDM and 31.7% with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with the need for dietary requirements
This study aimed to assess the possible association between asymptomatic vulvo-vaginal infection in early pregnancy and hyperglycemic conditions including preexisting diabetes and subsequently diagnosed GDM as well
Summary
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is known to be a crucial factor for preterm delivery (PTD), causing up to 40 percent of premature births [1,2,3]. There is increasing evidence supporting a causal role of Candida colonization in the multifactorial pathway of PTD, since a benefit of treating women with asymptomatic candidiasis has previously been demonstrated [4, 5]. In view of the available literature on the potentially hazardous pathogens of the vaginal microflora, we introduced an antenatal screen-and-treat program at our department in 2004. This simple public health intervention led to a significant reduction of PTD and late miscarriage rates in the general population of pregnant women [6, 7].
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