Chlamydia trachomatis infection in pregnancy: risk factor for an adverse outcome

A cohort of 122 pregnant women attending the hospital antenatal clinic in n orthern India were studied to determine the prevalence of genital chlamydia l infection, and any adverse effect on the pregnancy. Endocervical swabs we re taken at >12 weeks of pregnancy and cultured for Chlamydia trachomatis. Twenty-six (21.3%) pregnant women were found to be infected with C. trachom atis. The mean age, gravidity and parity were significantly higher (25.03 v s 23.6 years, 1.88 vs 1.72 and 0.92 vs 0.68 respectively [P<0.005]) in wome n from whom C. trachomatis was isolated. Follow-up was possible in 87 women who delivered in the hospital. There was increased incidence of still-birt h, prematurity and low birth-weight in the C. trachomatis-positive women (1 6.6% vs 5.7%, 26.6% vs 18.4% and 26.6% vs 23.0%), and these differences wer e statistically significant (P<0.5, P<0.5 and P<0.05 respectively). The res ults suggest a definite need for C. trachomatis screening on a wider scale, both in different risk groups of asymptomatic antenatal women and in neona tes, to confirm these findings.