Infectious Causes of Stillbirths: A Descriptive Etiological Study in Uganda.

Abstract

Background: Every year an estimated 2-3 million babies are stillborn, with a high burden in Africa. Infection is an important driver of stillbirth. There is a lack of data on the bacterial causes of stillbirth in Uganda, contributing to a lack of interventions such as effective prophylaxis and development of maternal vaccine options against the most implicated pathogens.

Methods: The PROGRESS study was an observational cohort study undertaken in Kampala, Uganda, between November 2018 and April 2021. If a woman delivered a stillborn baby, consent was sought for the collection of a heart-blood aspirate. One to three mL of blood was collected and sent for culture using the BD Bactec blood culture system. Organism identification was performed using biochemical testing and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Susceptibilities to appropriate panels of antimicrobials were determined by agar dilution.

Results: Kawempe Hospital registered 34 517 births in the study period, of which 1717 (5.0%) were stillbirths. A total of 581 (33.8%) were recruited into the study, and heart blood aspirates were performed on 569 (97.9%). Blood samples were sufficient for analysis of 476, with a total of 108 positive cultures (22.7% of sampled stillbirths). Fifty-nine of 108 blood cultures contained organisms that were considered potential pathogens, giving a pathogen positivity rate of 12.4%. Common pathogens included Enterococcus spp. (n = 14), Escherichia coli (n = 13), viridans streptococci (n = 18), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 6), and group B Streptococcus (n = 5). Gram-negative organisms were frequently resistant to commonly used first-line antimicrobials.

Conclusions: The high proportion of stillbirths caused by likely pathogenic bacteria in Uganda highlights the potential for prevention with prophylaxis and stresses the need for further investment in this area.