Abstract:
Objective To investigate the differences in vaginal microecological characteristics among pregnant women with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) at different gestational ages, analyze their impact on maternal and fetal outcomes, and construct a nomogram based on independent risk factors and a predictive model for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.
Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 559 singleton pregnant women. They were grouped according to the occurrence of PROM and the gestational age at membrane rupture: Group A (n = 50) had PROM at 28–33+6 weeks, Group B (n = 67) had PROM at 34–36+6 weeks, Group C (n = 152) had PROM at ≥ 37 weeks, and Group D (n = 290) had full-term pregnant women without PROM during the same period. Data from each group were compared to analyze the vaginal microecological characteristics at different gestational ages and their impact on maternal and fetal outcomes.
Results There were statistically significant differences between the case group and the control group in terms of age, gravidity, and parity (P < 0.05). The infection rates of group B streptococcus (GBS) in the four groups were 48.0%, 37.3%, 42.8%, and 31.0%, respectively (P < 0.05), and the rates of abnormal vaginal cleanliness were 70.0%, 62.7%, 53.3%, and 40.3%, respectively (P < 0.01). The incidence of low birth weight in newborns was 74.0%, 23.9%, 0.7%, and 0.3%, respectively (P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that advanced maternal age (OR = 1.930), obesity (OR = 4.676), PROM (OR = 2.416), GBS infection (OR = 2.747), fungal infection (OR = 1.913), and vaginal microecological imbalance (OR = 1.894) were independent risk factors for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes (P < 0.05). The AUC of the nomogram model is 0.762.
Conclusions Significant heterogeneity exists in the vaginal microecological characteristics of pregnant women with PROM at different gestational weeks, leading to gestational differences in the risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Nomogram models based on independent risk factors demonstrate good predictive ability and can provide a reference for clinical risk assessment.