Endometritis

Endometritis is an inflammation of the endometrium, which is the inner lining of the uterus.

It is usually caused by an infection of the endometrium from bacteria that normally live in the female lower genital tract, but it could also be caused by bacteria from outside the body.

The female reproductive system is divided into upper and lower genital tracts.

The upper genital tract consists of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes.

The lower genital tract in turn consists of the cervix, vagina and the external genitals, which includes the labia and the clitoris.

Now, The uterus consists of 3 layers, an outer thin layer called the perimetrium or the serosa, a middle smooth muscle layer called the myometrium, and the innermost layer, the endometrium.

The endometrium has two layers, an inner functional layer made up mainly of glands and supporting connective tissue, called stroma, and an outer thin basal layer which regenerates the overlying functional layer after each menstrual cycle.

Alright, normally, there are many species of bacteria living in the female’s lower genital tract, and this is called the normal flora.

These include Ureaplasma urealyticum, Peptostreptococcus and group B Streptococcus.

Under normal conditions, these bacteria live there happily without causing any harm, however, if they reach the upper genital tract, they can cause an infection like endometritis if they make it to the uterus.

Endometritis is a common problem during pregnancy because bacteria can easily reach the uterus during childbirth.

Okay, so normally the fetus is surrounded by membranes and amniotic fluid, and the uterus’s opening is sealed by a mucous plug.

This mucus plug has antimicrobial properties, preventing bacteria from reaching the uterus. Typically, during vaginal delivery, the mucus plug is shed, the cervix widens, and the membranes around the fetus rupture, so the baby can be delivered.