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The vaginal microbiota is the population of microorganisms that resides in the vagina. The vaginal microbiota in pregnancy differs from the microbiota present prior to sexual maturity, during reproductive years, and after menopause. A description of the vaginal microbiota of pregnant women who are immunocompromised is not covered in this article. The structure of the vaginal microbiome significantly differs in pregnancy. Bacteria or viruses that are infectious most often have no symptoms.
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Microbiota in pregnancy
In normal pregnancy, the resident vaginal microbial flora is thought to provide protection against infection. The microbiota during pregnancy is predominantly Lactobacillus spp. Microbiota composition can change during the course of the pregnancy. If the microbiota populations become more diverse, indicating that the normal Lactobacillus-dominated population has changed to a bacterial vaginosis population, risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes increase. Vaginal discharge is common during pregnancy but is not an indicator of bacterial vaginosis or abnormal Lactobacillus-dominated microbiota. The treatment of abnormal vaginal microbiota populations with lactobacilli and estriol during pregnancy was found to restore the microbiota to a normal state.
Bacterial vaginosis and pregnancy
Bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy is an alteration of the normal vaginal microbiota of pregnancy. Intrauterine infections in pregnancy are caused by bacteria that cause inflammation. The women may experience few or no symptoms. This sometimes leads to chorioamnionitis and other negative pregnancy outcomes. When there are high bacterial counts in of the vagina during pregnancy is typically due to the presence of the following organisms: