Early detection of pregnancies with a higher risk of premature delivery could help obstetricians to carry out more effective preventive treatments, which benefits the health of both the mother and the baby. Now this could be possible thanks to a new device developed by members of Imperial College London (United Kingdom), which is capable of detecting the chances of preterm births thanks to changes in the vaginal microbiota of pregnant women.
Women with diverse and changing vaginal microbiomes were at increased risk of preterm labor and inflammation
This device has been put to the test by the team that has developed it in a study that has been published in the journal Nature Communications. In the trial, more than 1,000 samples of vaginal microbiomes from 400 pregnant women were analyzed, in which the type and quantity of bacteria present in this intimate area were measured.
The results have shown that those with diverse and changing vaginal microbiomes were at higher risk of preterm birth and were more likely to suffer from inflammation. Inflammation caused by pregnancy treatments, such as a suture of the cervix in cervical cerclage, was also detected and was found more frequently in women who later had a premature birth.
The test could be used in other areas of women’s health
“We have known for some time that the vaginal microbiome can contribute to the risk of preterm birth, but now we have developed a device that in just a few minutes can report both the composition of the microbiome and the inflammatory status of a sample collected during pregnancy. Including this test in research studies and clinical practice should have a significant impact on our ability to prevent these preterm births and could have broader applications in other areas such as miscarriage and cervical cancer prevention.” explained Dr. David MacIntyre, one of the researchers.
This device proved to be as effective as chemical profiling tests, such as liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, cheaper and much faster, as these tests require up to eight hours to give results. The study authors plan to register the new device and seek the necessary regulatory approval for use in the UK, Europe and North America.
In addition, the researchers believe their test could have broader application in other areas of women’s health where the vaginal microbiome is implicated, including cases of bacterial vaginosis, HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, cervical dysplasia, failure of in vitro fertilization and spontaneous abortion.
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