Bacteriuria in pregnancy and infection in amniotic fluid and infant.

Patrick (1967) reported that some women with asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy had infected amniotic fluid at term. Furthermore, bacterial infection was detected in umbilical vein blood, the placenta, and the urinary tract of infants born to mothers with urinary tract infection. During a survey to assess the incidence of asymptomatic bacteriuria in a population of pregnant New Zealand women (Bailey, 1970) and their infants (Abbott, to be published), some of the patients had a specimen of amniotic fluid cultured. The delivered infants also had a blood and urine culture performed.