Asymptomatic Cervical Bacterial Colonization’s Influence in third Trimester of Pregnancy

We conducted a clinical study in order to determine the impact of cervical bacterial colonization during the third trimester of pregnancy on maternal and neonatal morbidity during the postpartum period. 1676 pregnant women were enrolled in our study. Microbiological samples were collected from the cervices of mothers, and from the gastric and ear secretions of newborns. 16.4% of preterm labor patients and 18.7% of full-term labor patients had positive cervical bacterial colonization. Premature neonates with mothers with positive cervical cultures were twice as likely as full-term neonates to be colonized with the same pathogens as their mothers (OR= 2.4). Premature neonates with positive cultures were also three times as likely to weigh under 2000 grams at birth (OR = 3.4). The weights of full-term newborns with positive gastric and ear secretions and those of full-term newborns with negative secretions were comparable. We found no correlation between the microbial agents isolated from the maternal cervix and those isolated from full-term neonates. Maternal cervical colonization impacts neither birth weight, nor neonatal morbidity. Pregnant women who are not at risk for premature birth do not seem to require routine third-trimester screening for pathogens other than Group B Streptococci.