Ureaplasma in neonatal gastric fluid contributing to bronchopulmonary dysplasia

The association between the presence of common pathogens in the maternal cervicovaginal tract as well as neonatal gastric fluid and adverse outcomes in preterm newborns remains uncertain.

Cervicovaginal swabs were collected from 98 mothers, and gastric fluid specimens were obtained from 121 premature infants with gestational ages of ≤ 32 weeks within 24 h of birth. Thirteen pathogens were tested using suspension microarray. Neonatal outcomes were monitored until either death or discharge. RESULTS UREAPLASMA: was the predominant species identified in both maternal cervicovaginal swabs and neonatal gastric fluid. Preterm newborns with Ureaplasma in gastric fluid at birth exhibited a smaller gestational age (P < 0.001), a lower 1-min Apgar score (P = 0.01), an increased requirement for pulmonary surfactant (P = 0.029), and a higher incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (P = 0.02) compared to those who tested negative for Ureaplasma. Similarly, pregnant women with Ureaplasma colonization in the genital tract were more likely to deliver babies with a smaller gestational age (P = 0.002), a higher rate of tracheal intubation after birth (P = 0.013), a lower proportion of small for gestational age (SGA) infants (P = 0.018), and an increased occurrence of BPD (P = 0.048) than mothers without the agent. Furthermore, the presence of Ureaplasma in the gastric fluid of premature infants was identified as a risk factor for BPD, with an odds ratio (OR) of up to 6, alongside gestational age and SGA as independent predictors of BPD.

These findings suggest that antenatal exposure to Ureaplasma is correlated with the occurrence of BPD in premature infants, which has potential clinical implications.