The causes of the appearance of protein in the urine of pregnant women

One of the important indicators of the health of a pregnant girl is the proper functioning of the urinary system. Therefore, throughout the entire pregnancy, a woman should take a general urine test. Such an analysis will allow timely detection of not only changes in the urinary system, but also other abnormalities in the work of other body systems.
The urinary system of a pregnant woman experiences a heavy load. This is because the kidneys have to infer not only the products of the life expectancy of the future mother, but also her future baby. Therefore, they work much more. In addition, the uterus increases in size as the baby grows. Thus, it exerts additional pressure on the kidneys. That's why if a woman had prerequisites for the development of urinary tract diseases, the combination of the above-described factors can provoke the development of various diseases.
A urine sample of a pregnant woman has to be taken out often. During the first trimester, she gives such an analysis once a month, during the second - twice a week, and in the third trimester - once a week.
Indicators of urinalysis
There are several indicators by which doctors determine the condition of a pregnant woman. But most often pregnant women are worried when the protein is present in the analysis. The reason is that the protein in the urine indicates the presence of inflammatory processes in the body, or on the disease. More details about this we will write below.
Proteinuria
Proteinuria is the appearance of a protein in the urine of a pregnant woman. If a person is absolutely healthy, there should not be protein. But pregnant women are an exception. In their urine, a small amount of protein is allowed. But this amount is strictly limited, and in no case should exceed 300 mg. If this number is higher, then the doctor can suspect various problems in the body: kidney disease, urinary system, reproductive system.
As a rule, if the protein in the urine of a pregnant woman is elevated, the doctor prescribes her re-delivery of tests. If the indicators do not change, the doctor should refer the patient to a consultation with a nephrologist or urologist. This is necessary in order to diagnose the disease.
If the protein in the urine is present in large quantities and appears systematically, the doctor most often hospitalizes a pregnant woman so as not to risk her health and the health of the baby's future. You can not refuse such a hospitalization.
In rare cases, doctors have to cause premature births to save the life of the baby and the future mother. But to be afraid of it it is not necessary, as in such cases doctors well know, that do.
Very often, the amount of protein in the urine increases dramatically after 32 weeks of pregnancy. The cause of this is nephropathy. This state has its own clearly expressed symptoms, according to which the doctor determines the disease. These symptoms include: the appearance of large amounts of protein in the general analysis of urine, the appearance of swelling, increased blood pressure.
Nephropathy is a serious disease that has a negative impact not only on the organism of the future mother, but also on the fetus. The placenta suffers from nephropathy: normal blood circulation in the placenta is broken and its protective functions are violated. Such violations can lead to premature birth, a significant delay in intrauterine development and the death of the fetus.
Bacteriuria
Bacteriuria is the presence of pathogenic bacteria in the urine. This phenomenon is very common. In pregnant women, the number of bacteria in the urine exceeds the allowable limit by a factor of five. Most often, the presence of such bacteria indicates that the future mother has problems with the bladder: cystitis or pyelonephritis. In both cases it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible. But pyelonephritis is much more dangerous than cystitis.
Unfortunately, such a disease as pyelonephritis very often makes itself felt at a time when a woman expects the birth of a baby. The risk of this disease is two times higher. In this case, pyelonephritis can be either acute or chronic. The general statistic indicates that women are six times more likely than men to suffer from this disease.
It is very important to pass a general urine test on time. A systematic study will help detect the disease, even if the expectant mother does not feel any symptoms of the existing disease of the genitourinary system. Very often in the early stages of the disease are almost asymptomatic, so a woman does not consult a doctor for help. Thus, by passing the tests, the expectant mother cares not only about her health, but also about the health of her future baby.
Leukocyturia
Another important indicator that should be paid attention is the presence of leukocytes in the urine of a pregnant woman. If there are leukocytes in the urine, this indicates that the woman is suffering from pyelonephritis or other diseases of the urinary tract. Most often, these diseases are of an infectious nature. It is very important for the doctor to establish the correct diagnosis in order to prescribe the necessary treatment.
So, if leukocytes or protein were found in the urine of a future mother, this indicates various diseases of the urinary tract, diseases of the reproductive system, or kidney diseases. All these diseases are very dangerous not only for a pregnant woman, but also for her baby. Without timely treatment, the disease can develop from an acute form into a chronic one. If these diseases are not treated, they can give various complications for the whole organism and lead to undesirable consequences, even causing premature birth.
To avoid this, the doctor must send his patient to other specialists: a urologist or a nephrologist. After the doctors examine the sick woman and establish the correct diagnosis, an optimal treatment scheme is chosen, which will be most acceptable for both the future mother and her baby.
Sometimes doctors find it difficult to diagnose, so they can prescribe a number of additional examinations: ultrasound examination of the genitourinary system or kidneys. In addition, a woman must pass other tests of urine and blood. All this will help to identify the exact cause of the appearance of protein in the urine.