audio: Author David MacIntyre highlights key findings from a study of almost 700 pregnant women, who received a stitch, known as cervical cerclage, to prevent preterm labor. Cervical cerclage using a multifilament braided suture compared to a monofilament suture was associated with three times higher rates of intrauterine death and almost twice the rates of preterm birth. These poorer outcomes were linked to vaginal microbiome dysbiosis and inflammation, one of the major risk factors for preterm birth. This material relates to a paper that appeared in the Aug. 3, 2016 issue of Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS. The paper, by L.M. Kindinger at Imperial College London in London, UK, and colleagues was titled, "Relationship between vaginal microbial dysbiosis, inflammation, and pregnancy outcomes in cervical cerclage." view more
Credit: Jean Mendoza / AAAS