ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIURIA AND
URINARY TRACT INFECTION IN PREGNANT
WOMEN
Pregnant women are a vulnerable group when it
comes to UTIs, not only because of the differences
in pathophysiology or the limited treatment options
but also because of the possible impact of the infection
and treatment on both the mother and the
neonate.
Epidemiology
Several studies were published on prevalence of ASB
in pregnancy. In general, the studies were of poor
quality: small sample size, prevalence of ASB diagnosed
at different gestational ages or the definition
of ASB as not clearly defined.
In a prospective cohort study performed in India,
371 pregnant women were screened for ASB before
20 weeks’ and 274 women between 32 and 34 weeks’
gestation. The prevalence of ASB was 17% in early
pregnancy and 16% in the third trimester. Even
though all pregnant women with ASB received antimicrobial
treatment, an increased incidence of preterm
labour (RR 3.27, 95% CI 1.38–7.72) and
neonatal weight below the 10th percentile (RR
3.79, 95% CI 1.80–7.97) was found in women with
ASB in the third trimester compared with women