Can bacterial vaginosis cause a miscarriage?
A. Bacterial vaginosis is the commonest cause of vaginal discharge in women of reproductive age. When a woman has bacterial vaginosis there is a change in the bacteria present in her vagina. Usually the vast majority of bacteria in the vagina are lactobacilli. In bacterial vaginosis these are greatly reduced and there is a consequent rise in the pH of the vagina and an increase in the growth of Gardnerella vaginalis and mixed anaerobes. This is thought to be associated with an increased risk of second trimester miscarriage and pre-term labour. a study published in the BMJ in 1999 revealed a miscarriage rate of 31.6% in women with bacterial vaginosis compared with a miscarriage rate of 18.5% in women with normal vaginal bacteria. I am not aware of any more recent research on this subject. Bacterial vaginosis is present in 15-20% of pregnant women and 50% of those infected have no symptoms but in others the woman complains of an unpleasant fishy smell and a thin greyish discharge. It wou
