The prevalence of preterm deliveries, inductions of the labour and sections have risen during the last years. In these, there is a risk of complications both for the mother and for the newborn. An underlying infection may be the predisposing factor, but the microbiological agent is seldom recognized. Group A and B streptococci (GAS, GBS) are significant pathogens also during pregnancy. The role of asymptomatic GAS carriage as a risk factor is unclear. Our aim is to investigate GAS and GBS carriage during pregnancy and its association to possible complications of the mother or the newborn as well as to transmission between spouses. Maternal microbiota during labour will also be studied. A register-based analysis of the disease burden of delivery and puerperal infections in Finland will be performed covering the last 16 years. Our study provides new knowledge on risk factors that may lead to delivery complications, which may help to assess the sufficiency of current preventive measures.

2022

2026