Kathleen 06/02/2010
Question:
How would I know if I have a kidney infection? I have not had any pain with urination, but I am having pain in my back on the right side, in my kidney region. Also, how dangerous is a kidney infection to your unborn baby? Thank you.
I am glad you're thinking about possible causes of new symptoms in your pregnancy. Bladder infections, which usually come before kidney infections, can have less obvious symptoms in pregnancy.
The most common symptoms of a kidney infection are fever (37.8ºC / 100.1 F), flank pain (one sided back pain at about the level of the last few lower ribs-more commonly on the right in pregnancy), and/or abdominal or pelvic pain, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. The symptoms of a bladder infection (pain/irritation with urinating, frequent urination of just small amounts) may or may not be present.
If you have flank pain with any of these other symptoms, you should talk with your health care provider. The next step to establish a diagnosis would be to provide a clean catch, midstream urine sample to be used to do a urinalysis and urine culture.
Almost every woman with a kidney infection will have a high level of white blood cells in her urine and this can be detected with a urinalysis. Confirmation of the diagnosis and determining the exact type of bacteria and which antibiotic should be continued can be established with a urine culture.
It is important to treat bladder and kidney infections promptly, especially during pregnancy, because they can more easily develop into complications such as bacteremia (bacteria in the blood), septic shock, lung/breathing problems, and pre-term labor.
A "clean catch, midstream" urine sample is best collected by washing your hands, opening the packages of wipes and the sterile cup and placing them next to you, separate and hold open your labia (lips covering your vaginal opening) and wipe front to back with each of the towelettes (dispose of them in the garbage so as not to clog the toilet), begin your urine stream into the toilet and then without stopping urinating put the cup under the stream of urine to collect 2-3 inches of urine, then pull the cup away before you finish urinating. That way, less of the contaminants from your vaginal secretions will fall into the sterile cup.
Other possible causes of flank pain in pregnancy include kidney stones (a urinalysis will also help diagnose these) and most commonly muscle spasms/strain which are best treated with heat, massage and gentle stretching exercises.