Vaginal flora in pregnancy
The vaginal flora in pregnancy, or vaginal microbiota in pregnancy, is different from the vaginal flora (the population of microorganisms that resides in the vagina) before sexual maturity, during reproductive years, and after menopause. A description of the vaginal flora of pregnant women who are immunocompromised is not covered in this article. The composition of the vaginal flora significantly differs in pregnancy. Bacteria or viruses that are infectious most often have no symptoms. Normal microbiota Microbiota in pregnancy In normal pregnancy, the resident vaginal flora is thought to provide protection against infection. The microbiota during pregnancy are predominantly Lactobacillus species. 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 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