Bacteriological Study of Urinary Tract Infections among Pregnant Women in Al Samawa City of Iraq

Pregnancy causes some changes in pregnant women due to mechanical and hormonal changes that lead to ureteral dilatation and urinary stasis which in turn contribute to an increased risk of developing urinary tract infection (UTI). This study aimed to determine the frequency of urinary tract infections among pregnant women in Samawa city, Iraq, and examine the isolated organisms. In total, 210 and 55 urine samples were collected from pregnant and non-pregnant women with clinical signs and symptoms of UTI who were hospitalized in the Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital in Samawa, Iraq, respectively. The data collected from each woman included their age, gestational period, parity, level of education, and residence. The frequency of urinary tract infections among the studied woman was 86%.  Escherichia coli (38.6%), staphylococcus aureus (20.4%), and Proteus mirabilis (12.7%) were the most frequently isolated bacteria in the current study. According to the recorded data in this study, 86% of the infections in pregnant women occurred in the age group of 25-34 years (52.4%) and the 3rd trimester of pregnancy (49.1%). On the other hand, the results revealed that the infection rate in women with one to three pregnancies was 50.2% more than non-pregnant women. The findings of the current study showed that the highest rate of infection was observed in women who were in the age range of 25-34 years (52.4%). This can be explained by the fact that women often experience the highest reproductive activity during this period. In fact, in this period of life, women are most prone to sexual activity which predisposes them to the introduction of microorganisms to the urinary tract which causes infection. The recorded data showed that UTI became more prevalent with the progress of pregnancy, accounting for 49.1% of infections occurring in the third trimester of pregnancy. Parity and frequent pregnancies are other factors that account for 50.2% of UTI. The prevalence of UTI in women with 1 to 3 children was 58.5%. Moreover, the rate of UTI was 61.3% among pregnant women who attended the antenatal care unit, which was the highest risk of UTI among the pregnant participants. In the non-pregnant women, the prevalence of UTI was 50.2 at the age range of 6-12 years. Based on the obtained results, pregnant women were more vulnerable to renal infection. On the other hand, the concurrence of UTI was positively influenced by sexual activity and pregnancy.