MICROORGANISMS IN VAGINAL FLUID FROM WOMEN IN PROLONGED PREGNANCY

In order to compare the vaginal microflora of women in prolonged pregn ancy with that of women who delivered at term, samples for quantitativ e aerobic and anaerobic microbiological culture were collected from 10 0 women at 42 weeks of gestation and from 60 women at term. The occurr ence of lactobacilli-dominated flora was similar in women at term and women with prolonged pregnancy. However, non-hydrogen-peroxide-produci ng lactobacilli (p < 0.01) were significantly more common and Peptostr eptococci species (p < 0.05) significantly less common in postterm wom en as compared with term controls. In postterm women, Candida albicans was more common (p < 0.001) in microfloras dominated by non-hydrogen- peroxide-producing lactobacilli than in floras dominated by hydrogen-p eroxide-producing lactobacilli. The ecosystem of the vagina in asympto matic postterm women was disrupted concerning the composition of lacto bacilli as compared with term controls.