The Vaginal Microbiome and Pregnancy Outcomes
There are predictable and necessary immunologic, metabolic, and hormonal
changes that allow a pregnant individual to provide nutrients and space
for the developing fetus without mounting an immune response against
it8.
During a normal, healthy pregnancy, the microbiome becomes less diverse
overall20.
There is limited understanding of what changes constitute normal,
healthy changes or changes which lead to pregnancy complications. It is
known that pregnant individuals are more susceptible to UTIs, BV flare
ups, and Candida infections during
pregnancy21,
and the changes in vaginal microbiome during pregnancy could play a role
in this increased susceptibility. A vaginal microbiome that lacksLactobacillus is associated with increased risk for preterm
birth2,22,23,
a leading cause of infant mortality in the United
States24.
However, it is not clear that the microbiome is a stronger predictor
than other known risk factors, such as racism and
stress22.
For a more thorough review of the vaginal microbiome in pregnancy
outcomes, please see Edwards et
al.8.