Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur more frequently in pregnancy, probably because the enlarging uterus and hormones produced during pregnancy slow the flow of urine in the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder (ureters). When urine flow is slow, bacteria may not be flushed out of the urinary tract, increasing the risk of an infection.
Urinary tract infections in pregnant women increase the risk of the following:
Severe, even life threatening, infections in the pregnant woman
Low birth weight
Urinary tract infection can occur in the bladder or kidneys. Symptoms may include pain during urination, urinating more frequently, feeling an urgent need to urinate, blood in the urine, pain in the upper back, and/or fever.
Bacteria may infect the urine without causing symptoms of urinary tract infections, so doctors usually check the urine for bacteria, even in pregnant women without symptoms. If pregnant women have bacteria in the urine or a kidney infection, a urine sample is taken each month and tested.
A kidney infection (pyelonephritis) is more likely to be severe in pregnant women, and bacteria can spread throughout the body and become life threatening (sepsis).
Treatment of urinary tract infections consists of antibiotics. Doctors commonly use cephalexin, nitrofurantoin, or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole are used only during the first trimester when no other alternatives are available. Women who have had more than one bladder infection or have had a kidney infection need to take antibiotics throughout pregnancy to prevent subsequent urinary tract infections.
