Ureaplasma in neonatal gastric fluid contributing to bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Background: 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.

Methods: 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.

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