Vaginal microflora and bacterial vaginosis in relation to preterm birth

The etiology of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and the relationship between BV and preterm birth will be studied, in the light of new insights - like the strong association between the fastidious, metronidazole resistant bacterium Atopobium vaginae and BV, by means of an in vitro amnion model and several clinical studies in combination with advanced DNA-techniques and analytical techniques (like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry).