Pregnant? Change out of your wet swimsuit as soon as possible

Staying in damp clothes for a longer period of time increases chances of a urinary tract infection which isn't good for pregnant women. Photo: visualhunt.com

Pregnant women should change out of their swimsuits into something dry, after going to a swim, as soon as possible, say experts.

The German professional association of gynaecologists says that staying in damp clothes for a longer period of time increases chances of a urinary tract infection. Such an infection in turn significantly raises the risk of a woman giving birth too early.

So if you're pregnant, don't even take a chance: Change out of your bathing suit into something dry as soon as you're out of the water.

The problem isn't so much other people's germs, say the experts - in most cases, urinary tract infections are caused by the person's own intestinal pathogens. These germs are found throughout the intimate region in small numbers, but they can reach the bladder when the immune system is temporarily incapacitated - by cold, for example. - dpa