Table_3_The relationship between pelvic floor functions and vaginal microbiota in 6–8 weeks postpartum women.XLSX

The impairment of pelvic floor muscle functions and Lactobacillus-deficient vaginal microbiota is common in postpartum women. However, few studies have explored the correlation between pelvic floor muscle functions and vaginal microbiota. Given this research gap, our study aims to investigate any potential association between these two conditions of postpartum women (6–8 weeks after childbirth). A total of 230 women who required postpartum pelvic floor function examination at Peking University International Hospital from December 2021 to April 2022 were enrolled in this study. The collected questionnaire information included progestational weight, body mass index (BMI), weight gain during pregnancy, neonatal weight, delivery type, multiparity, postpartum time, and urinary incontinence (UI). A total of 187 samples of vaginal secretions were collected, and the vaginal microbiota was detected by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Finally, 183 samples were analyzed in the trial. All individuals were divided into two groups according to the results of pelvic floor muscle assessment to explore the difference between the incidence of postpartum urinary incontinence and vaginal microbiota. We found that the prevalence of UI was higher in the group with weakened pelvic floor muscles. Vaginal delivery, overweight, age, neonatal weight, and weight gain during pregnancy were all risk factors for postpartum urinary incontinence. The vaginal microbiome was no longer Lactobacillus dominant of most postpartum women (91.8%), while the diversity of microbiota increased. The Lactobacillus-deficient community, commonly labeled as community state type (CST) IV, was sub-divided into four communities. The abundance of vaginal Lactobacillus decreased in the group with compromised pelvic muscle functions, while the species richness and diversity increased significantly. In conclusion, the decreased pelvic floor muscle functions of postpartum women 6–8 weeks after delivery may disrupt the balance of vaginal microbiota, and the restoration of pelvic floor functions may contribute to a healthy and balanced vaginal microbiota.

产后女性盆底肌肉功能受损及乳杆菌缺乏的阴道微生物群普遍存在。然而，关于盆底肌肉功能与阴道微生物群之间关联的研究为数不多。鉴于这一研究空白，本研究旨在探讨产后女性（产后6-8周）这两种状况之间是否存在潜在关联。自2021年12月至2022年4月，共有230名需要在北京大学国际医院进行产后盆底功能检查的女性被纳入本研究。收集的问卷信息包括孕前体重、体重指数（BMI）、孕期增重、新生儿体重、分娩方式、多胎妊娠、产后时间和尿失禁（UI）。共收集了187份阴道分泌物样本，并通过16S rRNA测序分析检测阴道微生物群。最终，183份样本参与了分析。所有个体根据盆底肌肉评估结果被分为两组，以探讨产后尿失禁发生率和阴道微生物群的差异。我们发现，盆底肌肉功能减弱组的尿失禁患病率更高。阴道分娩、超重、年龄、新生儿体重和孕期增重都是产后尿失禁的风险因素。大多数产后女性的阴道微生物群已不再是乳杆菌主导（91.8%），而微生物群的多样性有所增加。乳杆菌缺乏的群落，通常被称为群落状态类型（CST）IV，被细分为四个亚群。盆底肌肉功能受损组的阴道乳杆菌丰度降低，而物种丰富度和多样性显著增加。总之，产后6-8周女性盆底肌肉功能的下降可能破坏阴道微生物群的平衡，而盆底功能的恢复可能有助于维持一个健康且平衡的阴道微生物群。