Prevalence of Urinary Tract Infections and Associated Risk Factors among Pregnant Women in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria

The prevalence of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) among pregnant women was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of five (5) different hospitals in Enugu metropolis. Four hundred and eighty (480) pregnant women whose ages ranged from 20 - 40 years were recruited in this study using a well-designed questionnaire by random sampling technique. The subsidiary sample size included twenty (20) obstetricians working in these hospitals. Prevalence of UTI in the present study was affected by several factors namely; age, gestational age, socio-economic status, increased number of pregnancies or parity, untreated previous UTI history, diabetes, hypertension, and lack of personal hygiene. A total of 384 urine samples were collected from these pregnant women that attended antenatal care at the different hospitals for four (4) months. The urine samples were cultured and of the 384 urine samples analyzed, the following organisms were isolated; E. coli (89) (40.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (62) (28.3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (36) (16.4%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18) (8.2%). Others were Enterococcus sp. (8) (3.6%), Enterobacter sp. (4) (1.8%), and Proteus sp. (2) (0.9%) UTI was most prevalent among women of age category 36 - 40 years and the frequency was more in the third-trimester pregnancies. Early diagnosis and treatment of UTIs during pregnancy can ensure the safety of the mother and the foetus. There is also a need for continuous health education during antenatal visits to boost physical and environmental hygiene.