Treatment | Urinary tract infection during pregnancy – How dangerous is it?

Treatment

A urinary tract infection during pregnancy should always be treated with medication. This also applies to infections that do not cause any symptoms but have been detected by a urine test at the doctor’s. Usually a urinary tract infection is treated with antibiotics.

During pregnancy, antibiotics from the class of penicillins or cephalosporins are usually used. Depending on the class of medication, these are taken for a few days. The symptoms should subside quickly within a few days after taking the medication.

If there is no improvement, it is advisable to see the doctor again. In some cases, pathogens that are not routinely covered may also be responsible for a urinary tract infection. If necessary, further diagnostic measures must then be taken to find the causative pathogen and determine the appropriate medication.

During pregnancy, a urinary tract infection should always be treated with medication. Doctors strongly advise against a pure treatment with home remedies because of the danger of an ascending infection. To support the treatment, pregnant women can make sure that they drink a sufficient amount of water.

Wearing breathable underwear, preferably made of cotton fibers, can also help to prevent further infection. During pregnancy, antibiotic treatment is usually always necessary due to the risk of an ascending infection. In contrast to non-pregnant women, however, only a few antibiotics are suitable, including some drugs from the penicillin and cephalosporin classes.

Even women who do not feel any discomfort but have a conspicuous urine finding, which the specialist refers to as bacteruria (excretion of bacteria in the urine), require drug treatment.After antibiotic therapy, pregnant women should always have their urine checked by a doctor to make sure it was successful. Antibiotics are usually prescribed by a doctor. During pregnancy, however, there are only a few classes of antibiotics that can be prescribed without hesitation, including above all penicillins and cephalosporins.

Cephalosporins are particularly common when prescribed by a doctor. They are usually taken for a few days, after which the urine of pregnant women should be checked by a doctor. In case of an allergy to penicillin, a change to another class of antibiotics should be made. Depending on the severity of the penicillin allergy, cephalosporins can often still be administered. If this is not possible, the doctor must look for a suitable alternative, depending on the pathogen causing the urinary tract infection.