The routine chlamydia screening of pregnant women within a particular age range would be a cost-effective move, researchers say today.
Dr Jason Ong of the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues looked at the benefits of such screening, because chlamydia is a widespread sexually transmitted infection. It affects 3% to 14% of young pregnant women aged 16 to 25 years in Australia, they report in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The disease can be very dangerous for pregnant women, raising the risk of complications including neonatal pneumonia, low birth weight, miscarriage and premature birth. But it can also remain undiagnosed, as it usually presents no symptoms.
So the team analysed the cost-effectiveness of screening pregnant women in this age group as part of their routine antenatal care. They found such an initiative would cost 767 UK pounds for every chlamydia case detected and treated, but could avoid 2,800 or more in the cost of complications.
Dr Ong commented: "Our study will strengthen current guidelines and persuade more health care professionals to implement screening. The advantage of incorporating chlamydia screening into antenatal care means that chlamydia can be detected and treated promptly and there are no additional costs of attending another screening programme."
The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence does not currently recommend chlamydia screening in routine antenatal care.
Dr Paul Fogarty of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists commented: "The findings of this study may have implications for the UK as we have similar chlamydia rates in under 25s as the Australian population."
Ong, J. J. et al. Chlamydia screening for pregnant women aged 16 to 25 years attending an antenatal service: a cost effectiveness study. BJOG 26 August 2015 doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.13567
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