women s health issues
Intraamniotic Infection
Risk factors for intraamniotic infection
Intraamniotic infection typically develops when bacteria from the vagina enter the uterus and infect the tissues around the fetus. Many different kinds of bacteria normally live in the vagina. Usually these do not cause a vaginal infection, but if they spread to the uterus, they can cause a uterine infection. Normally, mucus in the cervix, the membranes around the fetus, and the placenta prevent bacteria from causing infection. However, certain conditions can make it easier for bacteria to breach these defenses. Intraamniotic infection is also more likely if The membranes around the fetus rupture too soon (called Prelabor Rupture of the Membranes (PROM) ). There is a long delay between rupture of the membranes and delivery of the baby. The longer the delay, the more likely intraamniotic infection is to develop. Labor starts early ( Preterm Labor ). The amniotic fluid contains meconium (the dark green stool that is produced by the fetus before birth and that is usually only expelled after birth). Bacteria that can cause infections are in the genital tract. Women may not know that these bacteria are present, particularly if they have not had routine prenatal care, when tests for these bacteria would have been done. Doctors or midwives do many pelvic examinations in women with ruptured membranes. Such examinations may introduce bacteria into the vagina and uterus. Labor lasts a long time. Rarely, infection occurs when Fetal monitoring is done. For this procedure, doctors monitor the fetus by inserting an electrode (a small round sensor attached to a wire) through a woman’s vagina and attached to the fetus’s scalp. 