Pregnant women and mothers are at a greater risk of urinary tract infection (UTI). The vaginal wall becomes lax due to the rigours of childbirth. They also suffer from cystocele where the tough fibrous wall between the urinary bladder and the vagina is torn during the process of childbirth.
“When a woman suffering from cystocele passes urine, some of it collects inside. This stagnant urine makes the woman predisposed to UTI,” says Dr Kiran Coelho, gynaecologist at the Lilavati Hospital.
“In pregnant women, UTI can cause growth retardation in the baby. It can cause premature delivery as well as ascending infection to kidney. Which is why it is mandatory for women to go through a urine test at least once in each tri-mester,” she adds.
The reason, Coelho adds, pregnant women are more at risk for UTI is because the growing foetus presses against the bladder and eventually against the kidney as well making the woman more susceptible to the infection. Dr Aftab Ansari, urologist at the Kohinoor Hospital, says the immunity in pregnant women is low making them prime targets for the disease.
Sometimes UTI is caused by asymptomatic bacteria. In such a case the usual symptoms of UTI such as fever, abdominal cramps and burning sensation are not present. This makes it particularly difficult to diagnose, according to Dr Anjali Tawalkar, gynaecologist at the Kohinoor Hospital.
This lack of symptoms occurs because often the bacteria load is not very high. Also, sometimes the bladder gets used to the bacteria. However, this does not mean that women can afford to take the asymptomatic infection lightly. If left unchecked the strain can turn virulent at any time.
The treatment for UTI in pregnant women is a little different from others. “We try to avoid giving antibiotics to pregnant women during the first trimester. So we recommend 2-3 litres of water in a day as well as cranberry juice. From the second trimester we start the antibiotics,” says Ansari.
Coelho though sounds a note of caution saying that a proper culture of the urine sample should be done before antibiotics are given.
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