Significance of Urine Test during Pregnancy

Urine tests can help doctors to detect certain health problems and to take right measures to prevent complications during pregnancy. Read on to learn more about the importance of urine test during pregnancy.Are you pregnant? Did your healthcare provider asked you to get your urine test done yet? If not yet, he or she will ask you very soon, as it is the primary step of prenatal care, which can impact you and your child’s well-being. The first urine test is expected during your first prenatal exam followed by future prenatal visits. It is normal for your healthcare provider to keep an eye on your urine test during each visit. In this articleWhat Is the Need for Urine Test?Excess Sugar in UrineExcess Protein in UrineExcess Ketones in UrinePresence of Bacteria or Blood Cells in UrineHow Is the Test Done?What Is the Need for Urine Test?Urine tests are very important as they make your healthcare provider aware of any infection you have even if you are not showing any symptoms. Urine screening assesses diabetes, infections of the bladder or kidney, and dehydration along with preeclampsia by testing for high levels of proteins, sugars, bacteria or ketone bodies.Excess Sugar in UrineIt is usual to find sugar in your urine as your kidneys leak sugar into your urine from your bloodstream. But if your sugar levels are high in your urine in a row during a couple of prenatal visits or extremely high at one visit, there can be a chance of you having gestational diabetes. In this case, your practitioner will usually suggest a glucose challenge test to understand if such is the case. You will have a glucose challenge test between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy even if your urine tests are normal previously. After diagnosis, your doctor will give you medicines to bring the sugar levels to normal during the pregnancy term.Excess Protein in UrineThere can be a chance of urinary tract infection if protein level is high in your urine. It may also indicate that there can be kidney damage along with a chance of other kidney or urinary disorders. You may develop preeclampsia if you conceive in such a situation. This is usually accompanied with high blood pressure which may worsen the situation. If the protein level is high but the blood pressure is normal, then the urine sample is sent for culture again to ascertain if there is a chance of infection in the urinary tract.Excess Ketones in UrineCarbs are real source of energy in your body apart from the stored and ingested fat. When there is a lack of carbohydrate in your diet, the good fat stored for providing energy in your body starts getting degenerated by the body, and there is an excess of ketones in the urine. If ketone levels are high in your urine, you will tend to suffer from severe nausea accompanied with weight loss. Doctors will immediately prescribe you medicines or administer intravenous fluids as it is a serious condition. There is a high risk of diabetes if ketones are found along with high sugar levels.Presence of Bacteria or Blood Cells in UrineBlood cells, known as nitrates, are found in the urine only because of a typical type of bacteria. These nitrates indicate that you are suffering from urinary tract infection. Along with a laboratory urinalysis, a culture and sensitivity test would be carried out to look out for bacteria in your urine, which is a sign of a urinary tract infection. The culture shows if you have a urinary tract infection, and the sensitivity test helps your doctor to decide which antibiotics are needed to treat your infection.How Is the Test Done?You have to get a sterile plastic cup collect a small sample of clean, midstream urine in it. There are chemically prepared strips meant for testing available known as dipsticks that you can dip into your urine sample to screen for certain indicators. Thus, screening will help you curing any infection if found in your urine, which help to prevent many complications related to conception and delivery.So, if you are pregnant, do not miss your prenatal visits and undergo urine tests and other routine tests as prescribed by your doctor to avoid any kind of health issues that can affect you and your baby during pregnancy.Why are urine tests done during pregnancy? How often are urine tests done during pregnancy? What kind of disorders can be detected through urine test during pregnancy? Discuss here.

Are you pregnant? Did your healthcare provider asked you to get your urine test done yet? If not yet, he or she will ask you very soon, as it is the primary step of prenatal care, which can impact you and your child’s well-being. The first urine test is expected during your first prenatal exam followed by future prenatal visits. It is normal for your healthcare provider to keep an eye on your urine test during each visit.

What Is the Need for Urine Test?

Urine tests are very important as they make your healthcare provider aware of any infection you have even if you are not showing any symptoms. Urine screening assesses diabetes, infections of the bladder or kidney, and dehydration along with preeclampsia by testing for high levels of proteins, sugars, bacteria or ketone bodies.

Excess Sugar in Urine

It is usual to find sugar in your urine as your kidneys leak sugar into your urine from your bloodstream. But if your sugar levels are high in your urine in a row during a couple of prenatal visits or extremely high at one visit, there can be a chance of you having gestational diabetes. In this case, your practitioner will usually suggest a glucose challenge test to understand if such is the case. You will have a glucose challenge test between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy even if your urine tests are normal previously. After diagnosis, your doctor will give you medicines to bring the sugar levels to normal during the pregnancy term.

Excess Protein in Urine

There can be a chance of urinary tract infection if protein level is high in your urine. It may also indicate that there can be kidney damage along with a chance of other kidney or urinary disorders. You may develop preeclampsia if you conceive in such a situation. This is usually accompanied with high blood pressure which may worsen the situation. If the protein level is high but the blood pressure is normal, then the urine sample is sent for culture again to ascertain if there is a chance of infection in the urinary tract.

Excess Ketones in Urine

Carbs are real source of energy in your body apart from the stored and ingested fat. When there is a lack of carbohydrate in your diet, the good fat stored for providing energy in your body starts getting degenerated by the body, and there is an excess of ketones in the urine. If ketone levels are high in your urine, you will tend to suffer from severe nausea accompanied with weight loss. Doctors will immediately prescribe you medicines or administer intravenous fluids as it is a serious condition. There is a high risk of diabetes if ketones are found along with high sugar levels.

Presence of Bacteria or Blood Cells in Urine

Blood cells, known as nitrates, are found in the urine only because of a typical type of bacteria. These nitrates indicate that you are suffering from urinary tract infection. Along with a laboratory urinalysis, a culture and sensitivity test would be carried out to look out for bacteria in your urine, which is a sign of a urinary tract infection. The culture shows if you have a urinary tract infection, and the sensitivity test helps your doctor to decide which antibiotics are needed to treat your infection.

How Is the Test Done?

You have to get a sterile plastic cup collect a small sample of clean, midstream urine in it. There are chemically prepared strips meant for testing available known as dipsticks that you can dip into your urine sample to screen for certain indicators. Thus, screening will help you curing any infection if found in your urine, which help to prevent many complications related to conception and delivery.

So, if you are pregnant, do not miss your prenatal visits and undergo urine tests and other routine tests as prescribed by your doctor to avoid any kind of health issues that can affect you and your baby during pregnancy.

Why are urine tests done during pregnancy? How often are urine tests done during pregnancy? What kind of disorders can be detected through urine test during pregnancy? Discuss here.