Bacterial Vaginosis BV Blog

Written by Abbie on March 17th, 2009

Bacterial Vaginosis in pregnant women

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Bacterial Vaginosis is a common vaginal infection caused by bacterial imbalance in the vagina. An increased pH level may lead to BV. Pregnant women are more prone to BV due to the hormonal changes that take place in their body.

BV can affect any woman from age 15 to 44. In fact research shows that 1 in 3 women are likely to develop this condition sometime in their lives. However, pregnant women are at a high risk of being infected with BV.

Symptoms

Symptoms and signs of BV in a pregnant woman are similar to that in any other woman. However, some symptoms such as itching and burning sensation during urination can cause a lot of irritation and discomfort to a pregnant woman.

Other symptoms may include unnatural vaginal discharge which may be thin or thick, white or even pale gray. This discharge can have a fish-like smell. Sometimes women may also experience abdomen pain such as cramps in their stomach.

Pregnant women may mistake these pains to be part of pregnancy, but such signs and symptoms should not be overlooked and must be diagnosed immediately.

How does BV affect pregnant women?

Bacterial Vaginosis can be very harmful to pregnant women. If an expecting woman finds any signs and symptoms of BV, she should immediately consult her doctor and get treated. BV, if not treated can infect the uterus and the fallopian tube. This infection is known as Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).

PID can lead to ectopic pregnancy which means where a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus and also rupture the fallopian tube.

BV in pregnant woman can be dangerous for both the mother and the kid. If left untreated, there are chances that the child will be delivered prematurely or babies with low birth weight.

Treatment

If a pregnant woman complains about unusual vaginal discharge, the doctors immediately diagnose it as BV by various laboratory tests. If the test results are diagnosed as BV then the doctor will start treatment for BV. Usually, the treatment would involve suppository or topical methods because pills or tablets may affect the baby.

A pregnant woman must always follow the directions given by the doctor and take appropriate care in administering the medication. If at all the medication causes any kind of discomfort, then it should be immediately reported to the doctor.

Personal hygiene is also essential to avoid having Bacterial Vaginosis. Though BV cannot be caused by toilet seats, or beddings, it is always advisable to avoid public toilets when pregnant to avoid any kind of infection that could be fatal to the mother and the baby.
Studies have shown that pregnant women are most commonly affected by Bacterial Vaginosis. Hence, there is nothing to panic if a pregnant woman notices foul smelling discharge or experiences itching and irritation in and around the vagina. However, these symptoms should not be ignored claiming them to be normal. Proper diagnosis and treatment should be administered to ensure a healthy mother and child.