Study Idendifies Markers Of Adverse Effects Of UTI During Pregnancy

Study Idendifies Markers Of Adverse Effects Of UTI During Pregnancy

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital studied the effects of urinary infection in pregnant mice and identified markers that indicate whether the infection has negative effects on fetal growth.

In order to notice the adverse effects of urinary infection on fetal growth, researchers used laboratory pregnant mice. Up until now, the effects of bladder or urinary tract infection have not been well evidenced in humans. “Observations that an infection isolated to the urinary tract is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes have been anecdotal,” said Sheryl S. Justice said, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and lead study author.

Pregnancy UTI

During the study , researchers found that offsprings born from infected females were less developed than those born from  not infected females. This finding suggests that  proinflammatory cytokines in the blood  have generated a more severe inflammatory response in the uterus than in  the kidney. That means, added Dr. Justice, that the placenta is more vulnerable to immune changes than other organs. One cytokine involved in the inflammatory response is interleukin 6 (IL-6). Interestingly, the highest concentration of IL-6 was found in female with the offspring with the lowest birth weight. So, according to the study, IL-6 is correlated with fetal growth in the uterus. Therefore, results are promising because these interleukins can be used as predictors to assess the risk of prematurity in offsprings.

Urinary tract infection is actually a bladder inflammation and it is a common disease among many women. During pregnancy  the risk of developing UTIs increases due to several factors such as hormonal changes or bladder compression by the uterus. Usually, the infection is caused by bacteria (eg E. coli) and it is treated with antibiotics.

On average, it is estimated that about 50% of women suffer from this disease. ITU is manifested by frequent removal of small amounts of urine (polakiuria), permanent feeling of urination, discomfort during urination (dysuria), bloody urine (hematuria) or cloudy color and powerful smell of urine. In addition, in severe cases, there may be fever, nausea, vomiting, pelvic or back pain. Untreated UTI can cause serious complications such as pyelonephritis, which is a kidney infection. In terms of fetal growth, UTI can cause premature or may interfere with fetal growth. Moreover,  it has been reported that UTI may cause  childhood asthma. Usually, all pregnant women in early pregnancy are evaluated for a possible UTI, and those at risk are closely monitored.