Pregnant women who presented with abnormal vaginal discharge, preterm pre-labour rupture of membrane (PPROM) or preterm labour, gestational age from 22 weeks to 34 weeks, singleton pregnancy, and those who consented to the study were recruited. Abnormal vaginal discharge was defined as a change in colour (such as grey, green or yellow, or blood-stained), copious amount, or odour, associated with itchiness or soreness. Preterm labour was defined as having regular contractions of at least 2 in 10 min with cervical effacement and cervical os dilatation. Pregnant women with the following criteria were excluded: obstetric complications that can be confounding factors for preterm delivery such as pre-existing medical disorders e.g., diabetes, hypertension, cardiac and renal disease, and all complicated pregnancies (antepartum hemorrhage, fetal anomaly, multiple gestation, intrauterine growth restriction, or polyhydramnios. Oligohydramnios caused by IUGR or fetal anomalies were excluded. However, oligohydramnios following PPROM during enrolment was not our exclusion criteria). Women who had cervical incompetence, uterine or cervical anomaly, fetal death, and history of recent douching, or sexual intercourse pre-testing, as well as recent use of systemic or vaginal antimicrobial therapy either as suppository drugs or spray within the preceding 72 h were excluded from the study.
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