Propose: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of E. coli and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL) E. coli in pregnant women in a systematic review and meta-analysis study.
Methods: We searched important databases, including Medline (PubMed), Embase, Scopus, Web of sciences, Cochrane library, Ovid, and CINHAL to retrieve all articles reporting the prevalence of ESBL E. coli in pregnant women that published from January 1990 to June 2020.
Results: The pooled prevalence of E. coli in pregnant women with and without symptoms of UTI after combining 82 studies with a sample size of 33,118 was 29% (29%; %95 CI 23, 36%). The prevalence based on urine, Feacal, and vagina samples was 26% (% 95 CI 19-34%), 77% (% 95 CI 22-98%), and 32% (% 95 CI 17-48%), respectively. Also, 19 studies with a sample size of 9,200 reported ESBL E. coli prevalence in pregnant women. After combining the results of these studies, the pooled prevalence of ESBL E. coli in pregnant women was 34% (34%; %95 CI 24, 43%). The pooled prevalence of E. coli in pregnant women with HIV was 9%(9%; %95 CI 7, 11%).
Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the prevalence of E. coli and ESBL E. coli is high in pregnant women. Also, the overuse of antibiotics was higher in European and Asian pregnant women than other continents.
Keywords: Escherichia coli; Extended spectrum β-lactamase producing; Meta-analysis; Pregnant women.