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Published on: June 24, 2025
Maternal urinary tract infection during pregnancy and long-term infectious morbidity of the offspring
Ram Cohen1, Gil Gutvirtz2, Tamar Wainstock3
1The Goldman Medical School at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Insights
Maternal urinary tract infections (UTI) during pregnancy increase the risk of long-term infectious morbidity in children. This study found that maternal UTI is an independent risk factor for pediatric infections.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common pregnancy complication.
- Maternal UTI is linked to adverse perinatal outcomes.
- The long-term infectious effects on offspring are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term infectious outcomes in children born to mothers with UTI during pregnancy.
- To determine if maternal UTI is an independent risk factor for pediatric infections.
Main Methods:
- Population-based cohort analysis of singleton deliveries (1991-2014).
- Comparison of offspring exposed to maternal UTI versus unexposed.
- Assessment of infectious-related hospitalizations up to age 18 using ICD-9 codes.
- Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression analysis for risk assessment.
Main Results:
- 3.3% of deliveries (8034/243,725) had maternal UTI.
- Offspring of mothers with UTI had significantly higher infectious hospitalizations (12.3% vs. 11.0%).
- Maternal UTI, preterm delivery, and cesarean delivery were independent risk factors for long-term infectious morbidity.
Conclusions:
- Maternal UTI during pregnancy may increase offspring susceptibility to pediatric infections.
- Maternal UTI is an independent risk factor for long-term infectious morbidity in children.
Background:
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common bacterial infection in pregnant women and is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. We sought to investigate the long-term infectious outcomes of children to mothers who were diagnosed with UTI during their pregnancy.
Methods:
A population-based cohort analysis was conducted at a single tertiary medical center. The study included all singleton deliveries between the years 1991-2014, comparing offspring born to mothers diagnosed with UTI during their pregnancy with those born to non-exposed mothers. Infectious-related hospitalizations of the offspring up to the age of 18 years were assessed according to a predefined set of ICD-9 codes. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was conducted to compare cumulative hospitalization incidence between the groups. A Cox regression model was used to adjust for confounders.
Results:
During the study period, 243,725 deliveries met the inclusion criteria. Of them, 8034 (3.3%) were exposed to maternal UTI during pregnancy. Infectious-related hospitalizations were significantly prevalent in offspring to exposed mothers (12.3% vs. 11.0%, OR = 1.125, 95% CI 1.051-1.204, Kaplan-Meier log rank p < 0.001). In the Cox regression model, while controlling for clinically relevant confounders, maternal UTI (adjuster HR = 1.240), as well as preterm delivery (adjusted HR = 1.385) and cesarean delivery (adjusted HR = 1.198) were noted as independent risk factors for long-term infectious morbidity of the offspring.
Conclusions:
Maternal UTI in pregnancy may influence offspring susceptibility to pediatric infections, as it was found to be an independent risk factor for long-term infectious morbidity of the offspring.
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