Chlamydia trachomatis infection in pregnancy: risk factor for an adverse outcome

A cohort of 122 pregnant women attending the hospital antenatal clinic in northern India were studied to determine the prevalence of genital chlamydial infection, and any adverse effect on the pregnancy. Endocervical swabs were taken at > 12 weeks of pregnancy and cultured for Chlamydia trachomatis. Twenty-six (21.3%) pregnant women were found to be infected with C. trachomatis. The mean age, gravidity and parity were significantly higher (25.03 vs 23.6 years, 1.88 vs 1.72 and 0.92 vs 0.68 respectively [P < 0.005]) in women from whom C. trachomatis was isolated. Follow-up was possible in 87 women who delivered in the hospital. There was increased incidence of still-birth, prematurity and low birth-weight in the C. trachomatis-positive women (16.6% vs 5.7%, 26.6% vs 18.4% and 26.6% vs 23.0%), and these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.5, P < 0.5 and P < 0.05 respectively). The results suggest a definite need for C. trachomatis screening on a wider scale, both in different risk groups of asymptomatic antenatal women and in neonates, to confirm these findings.