Objective:

To analyze the presence of maternal infections associated with protein malnutrition in patients admitted at the maternity area of the “Dr. Adolfo Prince Lara Hospital” in the period between February and July 2024.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study design with a sample of 57 patients, 30 cases of pregnant and puerperal women with protein malnutrition and 27 controls, who were investigated for the presence of infections in pregnancy, mainly urinary tract infection, respiratory tract, bacterial vaginosis, mastitis, sepsis among other complications. Data was organized for the calculation of frequencies and ORs in 2 x 2 contingency tables.

Results:

Urinary tract and bacterial vaginosis were presented in higher percentage with a total of 37 cases (64.91 %), 30 cases (52.63 %) presented protein malnutrition, 19 (33.33 %) of them within of third stratum of socioeconomic level. Statistical significance is not demonstrated between individual infections and protein malnutrition, but the total of infections presents OR: 2.95 with 95 % CI 1.53-5.70.

Conclusion:

Protein malnutrition prevailed in pregnant women with infections, most frequently in ages 20 to 35 years in poor-income population. Urinary tract and bacterial vaginosis predominated. We suggest continuing this research with a larger population due to the tendency to risk infectious diseases in the face of protein malnutrition.