Publication:

Study on bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women and associated factors on maternal and fetal outcome

Background Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition in which the normal, lactobacillus-predominant vaginal flora is replaced with anaerobic bacteria, gardnerella vaginalis and mycoplasma hominis1. It is one cause of vaginitis among pregnant and non-pregnant women and an extremely prevalent vaginal condition.

Methods The present study was conducted on all antenatal women attending OPD satisfying the inclusion criteria was taken during the study period 1st October 2012 to 30th June 2014 in GSL General Hospital, Rajahmundry was examined for bacterial vaginosis using Nugent score. All pertinent obstetric and neonatal data covering antenatal events during the course of pregnancy, delivery, puerperium and condition of each newborn at the time of birth was collected. BV was detected by both Gramstain (Nugent criteria) and gold standard clinical criteria (Amsel’s composite criteria).

Results In this study bacterial vaginosis is seen in 313 cases of educated women (62.6%) as most of them have got primary education and 187 (37.4%) cases are uneducated. In this study, symptomatic bacterial vaginosis is more common in multigravida (Bladder -23; Discharge -50) 73 (22%) when compared with primigravida 11 (6.5%) probably because of longer period of marital life. In this study antenatal risk factors like previous IUCD (4.2%) use, H/O STD’s (1.4%), husband having h/o of multiple sexual partners (1.8%) are 7.4%.No cases of smoking, alcohol, drug abuse, douching were reported.

Conclusions Both primigravida and multigravida asymptomatic cases are more when compared to symptomatic cases leading to the need for routine screening. Routine screening of antenatal women resulted in the decrease of adverse pregnancy outcome.