Urinary tract infection in pregnancy

During the period January 1987 until January 1988, midstream urine specimens were collected during the first antenatal visit of 2,642 pregnant patients. The specimens were obtained for the purpose of microbiological study. Significant bacteriuria was found in 15.8% (N = 419); 188 of the patients were asymptomatic and 231 were symptomatic, yielding an incidence of 7.1% and 8.7%, respectively. Two hundred females with negative urine cultures were selected as a control group, and matched by age, gravidity, and gestational age. The frequency of occurrence of premature birth was found to be higher only in the symptomatic group (P<0.05), while the frequency of anemia, hypertension, and diabetes was found to be higher in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, compared with the control group (P<0.04).