Postpartum bacteremia and placental colonization with genital mycoplasmas and pregnancy outcome.

The influence of placental colonization and postpartum bacteremia with genital mycoplasmas on the course of delivery and the immediate postpartum period was evaluated in 511 women who gave birth to live infants of at least 26 weeks' gestation. Genital mycoplasmas were isolated from the placenta in 153 patients (29.9%) and from blood in four patients (0.8%). These four isolates were all Ureaplasma urealyticum. Patients with genital mycoplasmas isolated from the placenta were delivered of infants with birth weights and gestational ages similar to those of infants of patients who did not have genital mycoplasmas in the placenta (3260 gm and 39.2 weeks versus 3272 gm and 39.3 weeks). No adverse effects of maternal postpartum bacteremia with genital mycoplasmas were observed, either in the mother or in the baby. We conclude that, whereas genital mycoplasmas frequently can be isolated from the placenta, there is no evident relationship between the presence of genital mycoplasmas and pregnancy outcome. In a few instances U. urealyticum has been isolated from the blood of afebrile postpartum women. In these women the presence of this bacteria is probably related to the birth process. This bacteremia does not precede an infectious complication.