Publication | Closed Access
Periodontal Infection as a Possible Risk Factor for Preterm Low Birth Weight
386
Citations
0
References
1996
Year
Maternal HealthPreterm BirthPeriodontal InfectionPublic HealthPeriodontologyEpidemiologyPossible Risk Factor
Periodontal disease, a gram‑negative anaerobic infection, commonly affects women of childbearing age. The study aimed to determine whether maternal periodontal infection is associated with preterm low birth weight after adjusting for known risk factors. A case‑control study of 124 pregnant or postpartum mothers compared periodontal status between PLBW cases—defined by birth weight <2500 g with gestational age <37 weeks, PTL, or PROM—and normal birth weight controls, while accounting for obstetric risk factors and measuring clinical attachment level. PLBW cases, particularly primiparous ones, exhibited significantly worse periodontal disease, and multivariate logistic regression showed periodontal disease increased the odds of PLBW by 7.9 overall and 7.5 in primiparous mothers, confirming it as a clinically significant risk factor. J Periodontol 1996;67:1103–1113.
P eriodontal diseases are G ram‐negative anaerobic infections that can occur in women of childbearing age (18 to 34 years). In the present investigation we sought to determine whether the prevalence of maternal periodontal infection could be associated with preterm low birth weight (PLBW), controlling for known risk factors and potential covariates. A case‐control study of 124 pregnant or postpartum mothers was performed. PLBW cases were defined as a mother with a birth of less than 2,500 g and one or more of the following: gestational age <37 weeks, preterm labor (PTL), or premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Controls were normal birth weight infants (NBW). Assessments included a broad range of known obstetric risk factors, such as tobacco use, drug use, alcohol consumption, level of prenatal care, parity, genitourinary infections, and nutrition. Each subject received a periodontal examination to determine clinical attachment level. PLBW cases and primiparous PLBW cases (n = 93) had significantly worse periodontal disease than the respective NBW controls. Multivariate logistic regression models, controlling for other risk factors and covariates, demonstrated that periodontal disease is a statistically significant risk factor for PLBW with adjusted odds ratios of 7.9 and 7.5 for all PLBW cases and primiparous PLBW cases, respectively. These data indicate that periodontal diseases represent a previously unrecognized and clinically significant risk factor for preterm low birth weight as a consequence of either PTL or preterm PROM. J Periodontol 1996;67:1103–1113 .