Chronic Maternal Gum Disease Strongly Linked To Premature Birth.

2001 AUG 23 - (NewsRx Network) -- Pregnant women with chronic periodontal (gum) disease during the second trimester are up to seven times more likely to give birth prematurely, according to a study published in the July 2001 Journal of the American Dental Association.

In the United States, approximately 10% of women deliver before term (defined as 37 weeks of gestation). Data from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics and the March of Dimes show a 0.4% increase in preterm births from 1990 to 1996. Preterm delivery is the major cause of newborn death, while surviving premature babies are at significant risk of developing serious and lasting health problems, according to the study authors. Previous studies have suggested a link between maternal oral health and preterm births, they wrote.

In the current study, researchers from the Periodontology and Obstetrics and Gynecology Departments at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, studied 1,313 women, completing dental, medical, and behavioral assessments when the women were 21-24 weeks into their pregnancies.

Of the 1,313 women studied, 13.6% subsequently gave birth prematurely (before 37 ...