Why do you need a urine test during pregnancy?

This article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Nhu Thu Truc - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital. Doctor has more than 8 years of experience in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

During pregnancy, to ensure the health of the mother and fetus, doctors often recommend that the mother perform periodic tests including blood and urine tests. So why need a urine test during pregnancy? The following article will clarify this issue.

When pregnant, every mother wants to give birth to a healthy, intelligent baby while ensuring safety for the mother. Prenatal check-ups and pregnancy management help screen and detect abnormalities during pregnancy in order to take timely intervention measures and prevent dangerous complications that may occur for both mother and child.
Your doctor will always suggest that you perform a urine test during pregnancy to identify early signs of underlying conditions through the presence of several different substances present in the urine. From there, there are plans to limit their negative effects on pregnant mothers and fetuses.
The urine sample will be sent to the analysis room to determine if you are suffering from kidney disease, diabetes or even a bladder infection, by measuring the levels of protein, sugar, bacteria or any other substance.
Urine testing is extremely important during pregnancy. Because even if you did not experience any dangerous symptoms in the previous tests, no one can say for sure that the next time you go to the doctor and test, you will still have the same result. Therefore, the urine test during pregnancy is not to be ignored.

Like other pregnancy tests, performing a urinalysis will help ensure a safer, healthier pregnancy, assess the health of the mother and baby as well as screen for some specific risks. enemies during pregnancy. Here are some diseases that a urine test can show:
2.1 Diabetes Usually during pregnancy, the blood sugar level in the urine will partly indicate the current health status of the fetus extra. If the body currently has a very high blood sugar level, there will also be excess sugar in the urine. This phenomenon is also associated with gestational diabetes, a condition that is quite common during pregnancy.
The disease occurs when the pregnancy hormones in the body disrupt the production of insulin. Your doctor will order blood tests if there are any additional risks or if you have a family member with diabetes. A glucose test will be done at 24-28 weeks to accurately check whether you really have diabetes.
Gestational diabetes mainly occurs between the 24th week and onward. Uncontrolled blood sugar during pregnancy can increase your baby's risk of heart problems, spine problems, and neurological defects.

2.2 Urinary tract infections The presence of bacteria in the urine is a sign of a urinary tract infection. The symptoms are sometimes so vague that many women don't even know they have the disease. Even if there are no obvious symptoms, a urine test is the best way to identify a urinary tract infection. This form of infection can spread to the kidneys, causing major problems for your baby.
Urinary tract infections also increase the risk of premature birth or low birth weight babies as well as lead to many complications if not treated properly and quickly.
When the urine test is positive, the doctor may perform a urine culture. By this method, the presence of bacteria can be confirmed with appropriate antibiotic indication. Doctors often identify and treat the symptoms of a bacterial infection in the first place.
White blood cells in the urine, along with an elevated pH, are also signs of a urinary tract infection, especially when there is nitrite in the urine (which is a product of the infection).

2.3 Determination of Ketones Ketone is an acidic compound that occurs when fats are broken down. If you have diabetes, it is likely that large amounts of ketones will be present in the urine of a pregnant woman. When your test results show a high ketone count, your doctor will ask about your eating habits to see if you have a problem. At this time, the pregnant woman cannot eat any food, the solution in this case is that the doctors will give fluids and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Allowable Ketone Index: 2.5-5mg/dL or 0.25-0.5 mmol/L.

2.4 Risk of preeclampsia Preeclampsia can be a risk to a pregnant woman if the results show protein in the urine. In the last months of pregnancy, if the amount of protein in the urine is high, the pregnant woman will be prone to preeclampsia and high blood pressure. In the case of increased protein levels but no symptoms of high blood pressure, the urine sample will be sent to the laboratory for culture.
2.5 Kidney problems If you are experiencing vaginal bleeding, it is normal to have streaks of blood in the sample. However, if this condition occurs continuously for many times without bleeding, there is a good chance that there is something wrong with your kidneys and you need to be examined more closely.
Blood Index (BLD) 0.015-0.062 mg/dL or 5-10 Ery/UL.
2.6 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia, Herpes virus, syphilis... can threaten premature birth, miscarriage, or eye and lung infections in babies.

A pregnancy urine test is usually done during a woman's first prenatal visit. You may only have one or more visits during your routine antenatal check-up. Urine test before 12 weeks of pregnancy helps to detect the risks early and take timely preventive measures to protect the fetus.
How to proceed:
Each time you go to antenatal care, you will be given a urine sample cup and a sterile wipe and then directed to the restroom to collect samples; First, wash your hands. Then use your fingers to separate the labia and wipe the vulva from front to back with a sterile washcloth; Urine for a few seconds in the toilet and then place the cup in the middle of the stream until enough sample is collected.;The hospital will test the urine sample by dipping a color-changing test strip and comparing the results with a comparison table. The results will be recorded on the medical examination sheet for the doctor's reference; Based on the test results, the doctor will give specific advice so that the pregnant mother can have a suitable care regimen to ensure safety during pregnancy. Hope the above information can help you better understand the importance of urine testing during pregnancy. This test step is not to be missed, because this is the best way to detect urinary tract infections early, pre-eclampsia, high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.... to ensure the health of both. mother and son.
Maternity Care program at Vinmec International General Hospital will provide high quality, comprehensive and methodical prenatal screening services in terms of professional qualifications, machine systems and services, ensure the safest and most favorable pregnancy for women.