Chlamydia trachomatis infection among pregnant women: prevalence and prenatal importance.
Article
in English
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-118798
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Chlamydia trachomatis infection in pregnant women is suspected to result in low birth-weight and premature infants. We conducted studies to ascertain the prevalence of this infection among pregnant women in our setting and whether its presence is a risk factor for low birth-weight or prematurity.METHODS:
In the first study, 94 pregnant women between 26 and 30 weeks of gestation were screened for infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. The second investigated a cohort of 172 pregnant women presenting in spontaneous labour. The infection status was related to perinatal outcome in terms of birth-weight and gestation. In both the studies, Chlamydia trachomatis infection was diagnosed using the Chlamydiazyme test performed on endocervical swabs.RESULTS:
The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in mid-pregnancy and at labour was 17% (16/94) and 18.6% (32/172), respectively. Women with infection were relatively older than those without it [mean (SD) age 26.6 (4.5) years v. 24.8 (3.6) years, p = 0.01]. The mean (SD) birth-weight [2869 (611) g v. 2814 (496) g], gestation [38.5 (2.6) weeks v. 38.3 (2.0) weeks], and incidence of low birth-weight [18.7% v. 20.7%] as well as prematurity [9.4% v. 10.7%] were similar among neonates born to women with or without infection. Neonates born to infected mothers experienced purulent conjunctivitis more frequently than those born to non-infected mothers [12.5% v. 2.8%, p = 0.04].CONCLUSION:
Chlamydia trachomatis is a relatively common infection in pregnant women. However, it was not associated with either low birth-weight or prematurity.
Full text:
Available
Index:
IMSEAR (South-East Asia)
Main subject:
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant, Newborn
/
Pregnancy
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Pregnancy Outcome
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Chlamydia Infections
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Chlamydia trachomatis
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Prevalence
/
Adult
Type of study:
Prevalence study
/
Risk factors
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Year:
1999
Type:
Article
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