Prevalence, risk factors, and adverse outcomes of bacterial vaginosis among pregnant women: a systematic review
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2025
Abstract
IntroductionBacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common genital tract infections among women of reproductive age. The existence of BV among pregnant women has momentously attracted the attention of both clinicians and the scientific community due to its potential link with adverse clinical outcomes in pregnancy.MethodsTo evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and adverse outcomes of bacterial vaginosis among pregnant women, a comprehensive systematic review was conducted based on the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA) criteria. PubMed, ScienceDirect, ClinicalTrials.gov and Cochrane database searches were conducted independently by two authors until May 13th, 2023.ResultsThe search strategies yielded a total of 2237 records; among them, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. Majority of the included studies demonstrated a high prevalence of BV among African women. The risk of developing BV during pregnancy was highest among women with multiple sexual partners. Additionally, factors including age, socioeconomic status, unhygienic practices, ethnicity, 2nd trimester, spontaneous abortion, vaginal douching, symptoms, and history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were also associated with a higher prevalence of BV. Overall, 7 studies reported adverse outcomes during pregnancy which was directly associated with BV. Based on the review, it was found that PROM, PTB, and LBW were the most frequently reported adverse outcomes in pregnant women with BV.ConclusionIn summary, the high prevalence of bacterial vaginosis necessitates a global surveillance approach to delineate the health risks imposed on both mother and child, and promote cost-effective strategic measures to alleviate the undesired consequences of BV during pregnancy.
Keywords
Bacterial vaginosis, Prevalence, Risk factors, Adverse outcomes, Pregnancy
Divisions
anaesthesiology,medbio,obstetrics,arts
Funders
Universiti Malaya Impact-Oriented Interdisciplinary Research Grant (IIRG),Universiti Malaya (UM),University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)
Publication Title
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Volume
25
Issue
1
Publisher
BioMed Central
Publisher Location
CAMPUS, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND