Genital mycoplasmas in pregnancy and obstetric outcome

Abstract

This prospective study was conducted to determine the incidence of genital mycoplasma carriage in an antenatal pregnant population in Singapore, and to study the association of genital mycoplasma with preterm labour, prelabour rupture of membranes (PROM) and low birth-weight babies. Genital mycoplasma was isolated in 26.3% of 312 pregnant women. The carrier rate was twice as high in women between 28 and 34 weeks (37.9%) compared with women at < 28 weeks (23.8%) (p < 0.05). In the individual women, the carriage of genital mycoplasmas was not persistent throughout pregnancy even without treatment, and a negative swab did not exclude colonization later on in pregnancy. Our study does not support an association between genital tract colonization with genital mycoplasmas (Mycoplasma hominis or Ureaplasma urealyticum) and prematurity (8.5% in carriers compared with 8.3% in noncarriers), PROM (3.7% in carriers compared with 4.8% in noncarriers) or low birth-weight babies (2.4% in carriers compared with 5.6% in noncarriers).