Relationship Between Vaginal Infections and Gestational Diabetes Publisher



Ahmadi A^{1, 2} ; Abdolmaleki N³ ; Roshani D⁴ ; Farhadifar F¹ ; Ramazanzadeh R⁵ ; Shahgheibi S⁶ ; Zarei M^{7, 8} ; Shakiba N⁹ ; Nikkhoo B¹⁰
Source: Caspian Journal of Internal Medicine Published:2025

Abstract

Background: Gestational diabetes is defined as glucose intolerance with variable severity which starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy. Globally on the rise, this health condition is one of the most common complications of pregnancy. Pregnant women with diabetes are at high risk of infection because high blood sugar levels provide food for many infections, including yeast, making it easier for the yeast to grow. This study aimed to examine the relationship between vaginal infections and gestational diabetes. Methods: This study enrolled 300 pregnant women with gestational diabetes as the patient group and 300 pregnant women without gestational diabetes as the control group. The research tool in this study was a questionnaire and performing a warm and wet slide staining test on the vaginal swab sample. Results: The mean age was 31.97±6.02 in the women with gestational diabetes and 30.98± 6.80 in the women without gestational diabetes. Smoking was zero in both groups. The frequency of vaginal infection was 34 (11.3%) in the patient group and 26(8.7%) in the control group. vaginal infections showed no significant association with gestational diabetes. Conclusion: Despite its high prevalence, vaginal infections showed no significant association with gestational diabetes. Still, the high prevalence of infection in the two groups demands more attention from the healthcare system and obstetrician-gynecologists to check the infection before and after pregnancy. © The Author(s)