Changes in the Vaginal Microbiome during the Pregnancy to Postpartum Transition. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Substantial changes in the composition of the vaginal microbiome occur following the end of pregnancy. To identify potential drivers of microbiome changes in individual women during the pregnancy to postpartum transition, we evaluated vaginal samples from 48 pregnant women during their first and third trimesters and postpartum. We determined the species composition of vaginal communities and the vaginal fluid levels of compounds involved in mediating changes in host physiology and the immune system at each time point. We used linear mixed-effects models to characterize associations. Consistent with previous reports, but with a larger sample size, a US population, and variations in the dominant bacteria, the vaginal microbiome was found to be more diverse during the postpartum period. There was a lower abundance of Lactobacillus and significantly higher proportions of Streptococcus anginosus and Prevotella bivia. Moreover, we uniquely demonstrated that postpartum vaginal secretions were also altered postpartum. There were elevated levels of hyaluronan and Hsp70 and decreased levels of the D- and L-lactic acid isomers. We posit that these variations are consequences of alterations in the vagina after delivery that profoundly alter the host environment and, thus, lead to changes in the capability of different bacterial species to survive and proliferate.

publication date

  • January 11, 2021

Research

keywords

  • Microbiota
  • Postpartum Period
  • Vagina

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC8189965

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85099401423

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1111/1471-0528.13115

PubMed ID

  • 33432532

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 28

issue

  • 7