Is the amniotic fluid really sterile? A study of Microbial Invasion of the Amniotic Cavity (MIAC) in a tertiary center, Khartoum, Sudan

Microbial Invasion of the Amniotic Cavity (MIAC) is a term used to describe positive amniotic fluid culture for bacteria or genital mycoplasmas. MIAC can affect both mother and fetus. It is a common cause of preterm labour with intact membranes and prelabour rupture of membranes. It is also associated with cervical insufficiency, an asymptomatic short cervix, idiopathic vaginal bleeding, placenta previa, and clinical chorioamnionitis at term. It is also related to neonatal sepsis, pneumonia and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and cerebral palsy. the objective of this study is to determine the etiology of Intraamniotic Infections among women delivered in Soba University Hospital, Khartoum Sudan in February- March 2016. In this cross sectional study, 246 deliveries were included samples of the amniotic fluid were taken after delivery. MIAC is detected 31.3% of the women under study. Staphylococcus aureus constitutes the major isolates (62.1%) followed by E. coli and Klebsiella spp. None of the isolates were Streptococcus agalactiae. There is a statistically significant association between MIAC and maternal infection during the third trimester, mode of delivery and birth asphyxia but not neonatal sepsis.