|
pubmed:abstractText |
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the single most common vaginal infection in women of childbearing age and associated with a sizeable infectious disease burden among both non-pregnant and pregnant women, including a significantly elevated risk of adverse pregnancy outcome. Overall, little progress has been made in identifying causal factors involved in BV acquisition and persistence. We sought to evaluate maternal iron status in early pregnancy as a putative risk factor for BV, considering that micronutrients, and iron deficiency in particular, affect the host response against bacterial colonization, even in the setting of mild micronutrient deficiencies.
|
|
pubmed:affiliation |
Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. hans.verstraelen@UGent.be
|
