Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

A Murine Model of Fetal Exposure to Maternal Inflammation to Study the Effects of Acute Chorioamnionitis on Newborn Intestinal Development
Published on: June 24, 2020
Intrapartum chlorhexidine vaginal irrigation and chorioamnion and placental microbial colonization
Objectives:
To determine whether intrapartum chlorhexidine vaginal irrigation reduces microbial colonization of the chorioamnion or placenta.
Methods:
Secondary analysis was made of a randomized trial. Cultures for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, Mycoplasma species and Ureaplasma urealyticum were performed using standard isolation techniques.
Results:
The placentas of 83 trial participants allocated to chlorhexidine and 93 allocated to placebo underwent evaluation. These two groups were statistically balanced for risk factors for infection. Aerobic bacteria were isolated from 47% of the chlorhexidine placentas vs. 51% of the placebo placentas (relative risk 0.9, 95% confidence interval 0.7-1.3), anaerobic bacteria from 30% and 35%, respectively (0.8, 0.5-1.3), group B streptococcus from 12% and 15% (0.8, 0.4-1.7), U. urealyticum from 18% and 29% (0.6, 0.4-1.1), Mycoplasma species from 6% and 11% (0.6, 0.2-1.6), and any organism from 57% and 67%, respectively (0.8, 0.7-1.1).
Conclusions:
Intrapartum chlorhexidine vaginal irrigation was associated with non-significant reductions in the rates of placental microbial isolation.
Related Concept Videos
Development of the Oral Microbiota
Hand hygiene
Hand washing...
Development of Human Microbiota
Surface Membrane Barriers
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract
Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...

