Results
Demographic and gestation
characteristics
In total, 85 pregnant women took part in this study. Women’s mean age
was 27.40(±4.67) years and the youngest and the eldest women were 20 and
37 years old respectively. Majority of women were 26-31 years of age
(40%), 28-35 weeks pregnant (34%) and primigravida (41%) (Table 1).
< Please insert Table 1 here >
Physical characteristics and laboratory examination of
vaginal
discharge
Vaginal discharge was reported by 89% (n=76) women. Of these women,
32% (n=24) had normal (physiological) discharge and 68% (n=52) had
pathological discharge. Physiological vaginal discharge was watery
coloured discharge (n=24,100%) and it was a slight stain in quantity
(n=22, 92%) and odourless (n=23, 96%) while pathological discharge was
mostly yellowish curd (n=17, 33%), soaking clothes in quantity (n=35,
67%) and foul smelling (n=27, 52%) (Table 2).
Laboratory examination of vaginal discharge samples confirmed vaginal
infections which included bacterial vaginosis (n=21, 24.7%),
candidiasis (n=18, 21.2%), and trichomoniasis (n=15, 17.6%). There was
statistically significant association between pathological vaginal
discharge and bacterial vaginosis (P < 0.0001), candidiasis (P
= 0.005) and trichomoniasis (P = 0.018) (Table 2).
< Please insert Table 2 here >
Vaginal discharge and adverse maternal, pregnancy and
neonatal
outcomes
A higher proportion of pregnant women with pathological vaginal
discharge reported statistically significant adverse maternal and
neonatal outcomes. The significant adverse maternal outcomes associated
with pathological discharge were irritation (P < 0.0001), pain
(P < 0.0001), uterine contractions (P < 0.0001),
premature membrane rupture (P < 0.0001), abortion (P
< 0.042), pre-term delivery (P < 0.0001) and
post-partum endometritis (P < 0.0001) (Table 3). The adverse
neonatal outcomes significantly associated with pathological vaginal
discharge were low birth weight (P < 0.0001), low Apgar score
at birth (P < 0.0001), respiratory distress syndrome (P
< 0.0001), intensive neonatal care hospitalisation (P = 0.001)
and early neonatal death (P = 0.002) (Table 3).
< Please insert Table 3 here >