Gestational diabetes mellitus and Group B streptococci in the urine

Background: We hypothesized that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases the risk of urinary Group B Streptococcus (uGBS) colonization during pregnancy. The primary aim of this study was to compare the incidence of GDM between pregnant women with uGBS and those without uGBS. Methods: From a population of 34,285 consecutive singleton pregnancies, we included the women 6,014 tested for uGBS. Of these, 249 were uGBS-positive, and the reminder 5,765 being uGBS-negative. GDM status and secondary outcomes were recorded prospectively, and the analysis included pregestational diabetes, age, parity, BMI, tobacco use, and cystitis during pregnancy as confounders. Results: The incidence of GDM was 9.2 % (23 of 249) among uGBS-positive women and 4.1 % (236 of 5,520) among uGBS-negative women, resulting in an odds ratio (OR) of 2.4 (95 % CI: 1.5–3.7) and an adjusted OR of 2.2 (95 % CI: 1.4–3.6). Conclusion: GDM may be a risk factor to consider in risk-based screening programs aimed at preventing early-onset GBS disease.