Why Urine is tested During Pregnancy

It was Lauren’s first pregnancy, and she was almost three months into it, which meant that it was time for her first prenatal visit.  

At the hospital, she was told to undergo a series of physical examinations, including a urine test.    

As an excited first-time and curious mother, the doctor had to give her a brief overview of what each test entailed.  

Why was her urine tested?   

During pregnancy, all women get their urine tested at their first prenatal visit. This visit takes place typically at the 12 th week of pregnancy. But, the urine test doesn’t end at the first prenatal visit as it is done at subsequent prenatal visits too.  

A urine test, known as a Urinalysis test, provides information about diseases or conditions that could be detrimental to the health of a pregnant woman and the baby in her womb. Early detection and treatment of such conditions would ensure a safe and smooth pregnancy journey and delivery of a healthy baby.  

These are some of the things health providers look out for in a pregnant woman’s urine:  

• Sugar: High levels of sugar (glucose) in the urine of a pregnant woman may indicate gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is a condition in which women that didn’t have diabetes before pregnancy develop high levels of blood sugar during pregnancy. High sugar levels in urine could also be an incidental finding in a woman who has had diabetes before pregnancy but was not aware. A blood test for sugar is done in all prenatal visits if high sugar levels have been detected in the woman’s urine during her routine prenatal visits.  

If gestational diabetes is not treated, it can pose problems for the baby such as premature birth or stillbirth. It can also make delivery more difficult as such babies are usually bigger than average. Gestational diabetes usually resolves once the baby is born, but a woman who has had gestational diabetes is prone to having diabetes later in life.  

• Protein: A high level of protein in the urine (proteinuria) during pregnancy indicates the presence of preeclampsia. Protein in the urine is not always suggestive of a problem, as small amounts can be seen after exercise or when one has a fever, but past a certain level, it indicates pre-eclampsia or some kidney problems.  

Preeclampsia is a potentially fatal pregnancy complication in which there is high blood pressure and damage to some organs including the kidneys and liver. It is usually treated with emergency delivery of the baby by 34-36 weeks of pregnancy. Before then, it is treated by administering blood pressure medications and strictly monitoring the blood pressure until the baby can be safely delivered.   

If left untreated, it can lead to eclampsia, a form of convulsions, which poses serious health hazards to both mother and baby and in a worst-case scenario, can cause death.  

• A urinary tract infection (UTI): The presence of red or white blood cells in the urine of a pregnant woman is suggestive of a UTI.  Untreated UTI can lead to kidney infection in the mother, premature birth, and low-birth weight among other things.  
• Dehydration: The colour of one’s urine can tell if one has had enough water to drink. Dark amber-coloured urine means the woman has to drink more water.
   If dehydration goes unnoticed and untreated, it can lead to lower levels of the fluid surrounding the baby in the womb (amniotic fluid). The low level of fluid results in birth defects and premature labour.   

Apart from also affecting the production of breast milk, dehydration puts the pregnant woman at risk of a UTI and recurrent headaches.  

Conclusion: The urine is way more than a waste product as it can be used to detect pregnancy and help detect problems in pregnancy.