The FLIP-1 Study: Vaginal Lactobacillus Supplementation in Women at High Risk of Preterm Birth

Preterm birth (PTB) is the primary cause of infant death worldwide. It has been shown that a vaginal microbiota deplete in Lactobacillus species is a risk factor for preterm labour. Conversely a vaginal microbiota dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus appears to be protective for these adverse outcomes. A wide range of 'over the counter' Lactobacillus spp. containing products targeted at 'vaginal health' and formulated for vaginal administration are available, but most of them do not contain vaginal species of Lactobacillus. The primary aim of this study is to determine whether vaginal supplementation with L. crispatus CTV-05 is associated with colonisation.