Risk factors
During pregnancy, physiologic and physical
changes such as decreased peristalsis of the urinary
tract facilitate the growth of bacteria, which may
result in ASB or UTI [20].
A secondary analysis of an observational study
with 4490 pregnant women showed that a BMI of
35 kg/m2 or higher was associated with an increased
risk for UTI in pregnancy (10.2–18.3% vs. 6.2–7.6%)
[21&]. Another interesting finding was that pregnant
women living with a cat or a dog not only had an
increased E. coli colonization of the vaginal flora but
also a higher incidence of self-reported UTI (with cat
32%, with dog 27%, without a cat or a dog 21%),
indicating possible transmission of uropathogens
between pets and pregnant women