Over the last few years there has been more research looking in to the impact of the reproductive microbiome and its impact on fertility and reproductive function. There has been research finding that certain reproductive disorders are correlated with an increased risk of imbalance in the vaginal/uterine microbiome (or reproductive microbiome), such as, in patients affected by endometriosis.
There has also been research associating the risk of miscarriage and implantation failure with vaginal dysbiosis. We are seeing how the impact of the microbes present in the reproductive tract may negatively or positively affect fertility.
A new research paper evaluated for the impact of vaginal dysbiosis during pregnancy. The new research paper was published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infection followed 730 Patients during pregnancy. Their findings were interesting.
The reproductive microbiome usually has specific community states, which make up commonly found combinations of microbes among different populations. In general, it was observed that the greater that vaginal dysbiosis score (a novel scoring method was used by applying 16S rRNA gene sequencing, as opposed to the nugent scoring method) the greater the likelihood of requiring emergency cesarean section in Patients. Per standard deviation in the scoring system was associated with a 37% increased risk for emergency cesarean section. Interestingly, they were unable to pinpoint specific microbes that caused this, but instead found that overall shift away from a healthy microbiome was associated with the observed outcomes.
While more research is required to more accurately establish the impact of the vaginal microbiome on the risk of emergency cesarean sections, the newly published research continues to highlight the importance of the microbiome and its impact on reproductive function and outcomes during pregnancy.
Reference:
Haahr, T., Clausen, T. D., Thorsen, J., Rasmussen, M. A., Mortensen, M. S., Lehtimäki, J., Shah, S. A., Hjelmsø, M. H., Bønnelykke, K., Chawes, B. L., Vestergaard, G., Jacobsson, B., Larsson, P.-G., Brix, S., Sørensen, S. J., Bisgaard, H., & Stokholm, J. (2021). Vaginal dysbiosis in pregnancy associates with risk of emergency cesarean section: A prospective cohort study. Clinical Microbiology and Infection.
This article is being shared as educational content and is in no way a replacement for medical advice or medical care, it is advised that anyone concerned about their Health should speak with their Naturopathic Doctor. Please discuss with your healtcare provider and only make changes to your medications regimen if recommended by your doctor and under their guidance.