Treatment Of Chlamydial Infections Research Articles

Epidemiology and Treatment of Chlamydial Infections in Pregnant Women and Infants

Chlamydia trachomatis infection of the endocervix is probably the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) affecting pregnant women in the United States; it is more common than gonorrhea, syphilis, or herpes infectionthree other STDs known to adversely affect the fetus and is the STD most frequently transmitted to the newborn [1]. Estimates of the rate of C. trachomatis infection in pregnant women have ranged from 2% to 18%o [2-4]. Women at highest risk are unwed teenagers living in urban, socially disadvantaged situations [4-6], precisely the group at highest risk for other STDs and for poor pregnancy outcome [7]. Simplification of the techniques for culture of C. trachomatis that have been developed during the last 15 years has resulted in their wider application. As a result, we have extended our understanding of the classic chlamydial infections and described new, important clinical entities. It is now clear that in pregnant women C. trachomatis infections of the endocervix often are asymptomatic and without distinctive findings on physical examination [8]. Left untreated infection may persist for the entire pregnancy and into the postpartum period, a course giving rise to clinically important infections in both the mother and infant during the puerperium. Infections in pregnant women. A relation between premature labor and low birthweight and urinary tract infections is widely accepted [9, 10]. It is tempting to speculate that urethral C. trachomatis infections might also play a role in initiating premature labor. Up to 12%o of women may have urethral C. trachomatis infection without having a simultaneous infection of the endocervix [11]. The risk this poses for the fetus or infant is unknown.