ASYMPTOMATIC BACTERIURIA AS A PREDICTOR OF PRE-ECLAMPSIA: A CASECONTROLLED STUDY

Pre-eclampsia, an important cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality world-wide has been linked to subclinical infections, with maternal infection and inflammation postulated in its aetio-pathogenesis including asymptomatic bacteriuria which is common in pregnancy. The Obejctive of the study is to determine the relationship of asymptomatic bacteriuria as a risk factor for pre-eclampsia.

A hospital-based case-control study among 28 pre-eclamptic pregnant women (cases) and 56 healthy pregnant women (controls) at gestational age of at least 28 weeks at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, between January 2019 and August 2019. Controls were matched with cases in age, parity and gestational age. Asymptomatic bacteriuria was determined with mid-stream urine analysis for microscopy and culture and data collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire with other details from medical records extracts. Chi- square, and multivariate regression analysis were used to assess statistical significance, odds ratio and adjusted odds ratio respectively, with P-value <0.05 and 95% confidence interval (CI).

There was a significant association between asymptomatic bacteriuria and pre-eclampsia. The rate of asymptomatic bacteriuria was about three times higher in women with pre-eclampsia compared to those without pre-eclampsia and 1.23 times higher after adjusting for confounders (OR: 2.9, AOR:1.23). There was no significant relationship between sterile pyuria and pre-eclampsia (p-value: 0.92).

This study supports the proposition that asymptomatic bacteriuria is a risk factor for pre-eclampsia. It has not however shown whether the association is causal or casual. Further studies will be needed to explain this.