Abstract
The aim of the study is to determine the frequency of urinary tract infection during pregnancy, the susceptibility profile of isolates and the trimester of peak infection. The study which was prospective and cross-sectional was carried out at University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Nigeria. The urine samples of two hundred antenatal women attending clinics in UBTH were subjected to culture and sensitivity during the period January to August 2011. Samples were collected alongside questionnaires to indicate age, any antibiotic treatment in the last three weeks, the gestational age and the number of previous births. Sample collections were done on the busiest antenatal clinics to ensure maximum coverage of patients. The specimens were cultured immediately on McConkey and Cysteine lactose electrolyte deficient (CLED) agars and the microscopy recorded. After an overnight incubation isolates were identified by colonial morphology characteristics and biochemical tests. The isolates include Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Alcaligens faecalis, Providencia stuartii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus morganii, Proteus mirabilis, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. All the isolates except Proteus vulgaris were susceptible to nitrofurantoin and resistant to all other antibiotics. The relatively high prevalence of urinary tract infection during pregnancy and the desire to avoid pregnancy complications resulting from urinary tract infection justify screening pregnant women for urinary tract infection.