Gestational diabetes mellitus and Group B streptococci in the urine.

BACKGROUND

We hypothesized that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases the risk of urinary Group B Streptococcus (uGBS) colonization during pregnancy. The primary aim of this study was to compare the incidence of GDM between pregnant women with uGBS and those without uGBS.

METHODS

From a population of 34,285 consecutive singleton pregnancies, we included the women 6,014 tested for uGBS. Of these, 249 were uGBS-positive, and the reminder 5,765 being uGBS-negative. GDM status and secondary outcomes were recorded prospectively, and the analysis included pregestational diabetes, age, parity, BMI, tobacco use, and cystitis during pregnancy as confounders.

RESULTS

The incidence of GDM was 9.2 % (23 of 249) among uGBS-positive women and 4.1 % (236 of 5,520) among uGBS-negative women, resulting in an odds ratio (OR) of 2.4 (95 % CI: 1.5-3.7) and an adjusted OR of 2.2 (95 % CI: 1.4-3.6).

CONCLUSION

GDM may be a risk factor to consider in risk-based screening programs aimed at preventing early-onset GBS disease.