Gum
disease in pregnancy linked to premature low weight babies
by Jane E. Brody
Although,
it may seem improbable, infection in the gums of a pregnant woman may lead
to a more than sevenfold increase in her risk of delivering a premature
baby of low birth weight, according to findings published yesterday in The
Journal of Periodontology.
The study suggests that untreated periodontal
disease may account for a large share of premature births for which no
other explanation can be found.
The research team of periodontists, obstetrician-gynecologists and epidemiologists
emphasized that their finding, based on a detailed analysis of 124 births,
were preliminary and needed to be confirmed by "larger prospective
multi center investigations". Nevertheless, they estimated from their
findings that periodontal infection might be responsible for as many as
18 percent of the 250,000 premature babies that are born weighing less
than 5.5 pounds in the United States each year.
If
such births could be prevented by proper periodontal care and treatment
of periodontal disease in women of childbearing age, the researchers said,
premature births might be reduced by about 45,500 each year at a savings
of almost $1 Billion in intensive neonatal care.
Dr. Steven Offenbacher, the lead author of the new report, said in an
interview: "A prenatal visit to a periodontist is a reasonable thing
to do at this point. Any infection in a pregnant woman should be a concern.
When you have periodontal disease, even eating an apple or brushing your
teeth can release bacteria and their toxins into the bloodstream."
Rather than directly attacking the fetus, the bacteria appear to retard
fetal growth by releasing toxins into the woman's bloodstream that reach
the placenta and interfere with fetal development. In addition, the infection
stimulates the woman's body to produce inflammatory chemicals, similar
to those used to induce abortion, that can cause the cervix to dilate and
set off uterine contractions.
The women who had delivered premature. low birth weight babies were found
to have significantly worse periodontaldisease than those whose
babies were born at term of normal weight.
All told, the researchers concluded, after taking
other
possible causes of prematurity into account, that the risk of having
a premature baby of low birth weight was at least 7.5 times as high for
women with severe periodontal disease as it was for women with lesser
degrees of periodontal infection.
Dr. James Beck, an oral epidemiologist on the research team, said, "The
extent of disease in these mothers was quite a bit worse than you'd find
in the general population of women of childbearing age."
Dr. Robert Romero, chief of prenatal research for the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said that if periodontal
disease increased the risk of prematurity by seven times, "it could
be one of the most important identifiable risk factors for preterm birth" which
he said occurred in 5 percent of pregnancies and cost the country, $5.7
billion a year.
Periodontal disease can often be prevented by nightly flossing and regular,
thorough cleaning of the teeth.
Gum
disease in pregnancy linked to premature low weight babies
Although,
it may seem improbable, infection in the gums of a pregnant woman may lead
to a more than sevenfold increase in her risk of delivering a premature
baby of low birth weight, according to findings published yesterday in The
Journal of Periodontology.
If
such births could be prevented by proper periodontal care and treatment
of periodontal disease in women of childbearing age, the researchers said,
premature births might be reduced by about 45,500 each year at a savings
of almost $1 Billion in intensive neonatal care. 
All told, the researchers concluded, after taking
other
possible causes of prematurity into account, that the risk of having
a premature baby of low birth weight was at least 7.5 times as high for
women with severe periodontal disease as it was for women with lesser
degrees of periodontal infection.