Background and Aims: Urinary tract
infections (UTIs) are common among pregnant women and major predisposing
factors for pyelonephritis linked to obstetrical complications including
preterm labour and low infants’ birth weights. This study sought to determine
the relationship(s) between pregnancy trimesters, UTIs and changes in
progesterone levels among pregnant women. Materials and Methods: The
study was conducted in 2016 at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH)
antenatal clinic which is a referral facility that attends to patients from
most Counties in western region of Kenya. A cross-sectional study design was
used to collect blood and urine specimens from 78 participants. Blood was used
to determine progesterone levels using ELISA technique and urine cultures with
bacterial colony counts ≥105 were
appropriately identified to species level. Trimester periods and participants’
demographic information were obtained using a structured questionnaire. Results: Culture results showed that the most abundant bacterial species isolated in
urine from the pregnant women was Escherechia
coli (63.7%). The more affected age-group was women between 30-39 years during trimester three, suggesting that bacterial colonization
of genital track occurred more frequently in older compared to the younger
women. There was an exponential increase in progesterone levels among the
pregnant women during trimester three compared to other trimesters, although
these increases occurred independent of age. However, high levels of progesterone among
pregnant women in third trimester corresponded with increased number of E. coli causing UTI. Conclusion: The
results showed that progesterone levels increase with trimester and the most
prevalent bacteria associated with this was E.
coli even though age and increase in progesterone
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