DO VAGINAL LACTOBACILLI PREVENT PRETERM LABOR

Objective. To determine the prevalence of Lactobacillus spp in vaginal flora during pregnancy and to assess the protective effects of lactob acilli against preterm labour. Design. Cross-sectional analysis of Lac tobacillus spp in the vaginal flora of the pregnant coloured populatio n of the Western Cape. Participants. A total of 480 consecutive pregna nt women, aged 13-48 years, seen at their first visit to the Tygerberg Hospital antenatal clinic. Main outcome measures. Preterm labour, ie before 34 and 37 weeks' gestation, premature rupture of membranes, int ra-uterine growth retardation and perinatal deaths. Results. A total o f 163 patients had negative cultures and 317 positive cultures for lac tobacilli, aerobes or both. Delivery before 37 weeks occurred in 18% a nd 20% of the two groups, respectively. Lactobacillus only was culture d from 116 patients and Lactobacillus and/or other aerobes from 201 pa tients. Preterm labour occurred in 20% of the first group and in 19% o f the second group. The perinatal outcome in patients from whom lactob acilli only were cultivated did not differ from patients from whom oth er aerobes and lactobacilli or other aerobes only were cultured. Concl usion. In patients at high risk for preterm labour, the presence of la ctobacilli in the vagina does not seem to play a protective role.