article: A mother whose baby nearly died after he was born severely premature has urged other women to be aware of the infection that triggered her early labour. Amanda Butler, 42, had enjoyed a totally normal pregnancy until her waters broke at 25 weeks. Her son Callum was born weighing just 1lb 9oz and with translucent skin - and both she and doctors feared he would not survive. In the weeks and months that followed, he underwent heart surgery, a lumbar puncture, laser eye surgery and 10 blood transfusions. Mrs Butler, a marketing consultant from Milton Keynes, later discovered her premature labour had been triggered by a common infection called bacterial vaginosis (BV). Scroll down for video . Callum Butler was born at just 25 weeks into his mother's pregnancy. His mother Amanda was later told an infection she had, called bacterial vaginosis, was to blame. The condition can also cause miscarriage . BV affects one in three women, making it twice as common as thrush. It occurs when the balance of internal bacteria is disrupted, leading to an unpleasant odour. If untreated, it can lead to fertility problems and increased risk of contracting STIs such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Pregnant women with the condition are six times more likely to miscarry and twice as likely to give birth prematurely. One of the biggest problems is that BV often goes undiagnosed - or women wrongly assume they are suffering from another similar ailment, such as thrush. Misdiagnosis often occurs as 38 per cent of women only feel comfortable getting intimate health advice from online forums because while 19 per cent are too embarrassed to talk to their GP, research has shown. Many other women, such as Mrs Butler, have simply never heard of the condition. She said: 'I was angry when I found out that BV had caused Callum’s premature birth because it was the first I had heard of it. 'No-one ever told me the condition could lead to complications like this. 'It wasn't in any of the pregnancy books and was certainly never mentioned by midwives or doctors prior to it happening.' She said she noticed a discharge at around 24 weeks - but didn’t pay it any attention. 'Pregnancy itself can cause that to happen, and it certainly didn’t concern my midwife,' she recalled. 'The discharge didn’t have the characteristic odour that is associated with BV.' After the trauma of the premature labour and birth, Mrs Butler was initially told it had occurred because she had an 'incompetent cervix'. This is a condition that occurs when weak cervical tissue causes the cervix to open too soon - causing premature birth or the loss of an otherwise healthy pregnancy. It was only during a consultation with a specialist two years later that she was horrified to be told an infection must have caused Callum's early arrival. 'I feel like it could have been totally avoided had I been given the right information,' she said. Like many women, Mrs Butler had never heard of the condition. Callum's frail state when he was born meant doctors feared he may not live. 'I feel like it could have been totally avoided had I been given the right information,' his mother said . 'Callum’s experience was awful, and it was incredibly difficult for my husband and I to have to watch him suffer. 'As a new mum, it was heartbreaking not to be able to cuddle my son for weeks after he was born.' She added: 'Today, Callum is a happy, healthy little boy, but I am definitely one of the lucky ones.' She has decided to share her story to raise awareness and prevent other mothers going through the same terrible ordeal. 'I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what Callum endured,' she said. 'I would urge anyone in the early stages of pregnancy who thinks they may have the symptoms of BV to speak to their midwives as soon as possible to ensure this terrible experience doesn’t happen to them.' Around 54,000 babies are born prematurely in UK every year, one of the highest rates in Europe. BV affects one in three women, making it twice as common as thrush. It occurs when the balance of internal bacteria is disrupted, leading to an unpleasant odour. If untreated, it can lead to fertility problems and increased risk of contracting STIs such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia. Pregnant women with the condition are six times more likely to miscarry and twice as likely to give birth prematurely. One of the biggest problems is that BV often goes undiagnosed - or women wrongly assume they are suffering from another similar ailment, such as thrush. Misdiagnosis often occurs as 38 per cent of women only feel comfortable getting intimate health advice from online forums because while 19 per cent are too embarrassed to talk to their GP, research has shown. Symptoms include: . * a strong smell, particularly after sexual intercourse . * discharge that becomes a white or grey colour, or becomes thin and watery . Babies born before 37 weeks are classed as premature and as many of their vital organs will not have had a chance to fully develop causing both short terms problems, such as breathing and digestive difficulties, and potential longer term health implications, such as severe disabilities or cerebral palsy. Her story follows research at the University of California, Los Angeles, which found women who use shower gels and soaps in intimate areas are putting themselves at higher risk of developing BV. Study leader Joelle Brown said there is ‘mounting evidence’ that using these products internally can also increase the risk of bacterial vaginosis. Dr Brown's team recruited 141 women in Los Angeles who agreed to answer questionnaires about their product use and undergo lab tests for vaginal infections. The researchers found that 66 per cent of the women reported using lubricants and cleansers internally. The most commonly used products were sexual lubricants - 70 per cent of the product-using group used commercial lubricants, while 17 per cent reported using petroleum jelly and 13 per cent used oils. Test results showed that the women who used products not intended for internal use, such as oils and Vaseline, were more likely to have yeast and bacterial infections. For instance, 40 per cent of the women who used petroleum jelly as a lubricant had bacterial vaginosis - an infection that can be caused by a number of common bacterial species - compared to 18 per cent of women who did not insert petroleum jelly. Mrs Butler was speaking out for National BV Day, held in association with Balance Activ. For more information on the condition, visit www.bvexplained.co.uk .
highlights: Amanda Butler, 42, had normal pregnancy until waters broke at 25 weeks .
  Son Callum was born weighing just 1lb 9oz and needed much treatment .
  She was later told common infection, bacterial vaginosis, was to blame .
  Affects a third of women and is often mistaken for thrush, but can cause fertility problems, miscarriage, premature labour and raise the risk of STDs .
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