Monday, November 5, 2018

Is the womb sterile in uncomplicated pregnancies?


Recent studies have challenged the century-old notion that the human fetal environment is sterile and that the neonate's microbiome is acquired during and after birth. A recent study published in the Journal of Science Translational Medicine reported the presence of unique commensal placental microbiome from the Firmicutes, Tenericutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Fusobacteria phyla.

Research has shown that seeding of healthy microbiome at birth is crucial for human health in later life. Another study published in September issue of American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology does not support the existence of microbiomes within the healthy fetal milieu, and this concept of ‘sterile womb’ have implications in the development of practices like ‘vaginal seeding’ after cesarean births.

The researchers from Norway and Sweden randomly sampled amniotic fluid from study cohort of uncomplicated pregnancies at term from 1 of the three sites included in the Preventing Atopic Dermatitis and Allergies in children (PreventADALL) study. The amniotic fluid from 65 pregnancies was collected under sterile conditions, ten samples were from women undergoing elective, planned cesarean section and 14 were from women who had prior rupture of membranes.

Women with ruptured membranes have more than 10-fold higher concentration of prokaryotic DNA (16S rRNA) gene copies/mL. More than 50% samples of amniotic fluid from ruptured membranes cohort showed bacterial growth in anaerobic cultures, while all samples from women who had intact membranes were sterile.

The bacteria identified on culture were vaginal commensals and/ or intrauterine pathogens including Streptococcus agalactiae, Peptoniphilus harei/ asaccharolyticus, Lactobacillus reuteri/crispatus/vaginalis, and Prevotella amnii/bivia.

The authors concluded that in uncomplicated pregnancies, fetal development occurs in a sterile environment and fetal microbiome is seeded following rupture of membranes. Understanding the timing of the first microbial colonization in fetus could help the researchers in a better understanding of the origin of many diseases.


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