The Bacteria and the Formed Elements in the Urine in Normal Pregnancy *

It has been reported by numerous observers that late in pregnancy and in the puerperium bacteria can frequently be found in the bladder urine of women who have no other symptoms of infection of the urinary tract. The work reported in this paper was undertaken to define more exactly the incidence, character, and significance of bacteria recovered from the urinary tract of such women. Much of the literature on this subject seems to imply that there is a high incidence of urinary tract infection in pregnant women. In 1905 Opitz"4 made an extensive study of pyelitis in the pregnant and puerperal woman. He stated that the bladder urine of pregnant women is frequently infected and that cystitis is often present even though the patient may have no symptoms suggestive of it. McLane and Traut"3 quote the following table from Albeck,1 who cystoscoped 30 pregnant women.