Gum disease not tied to pregnancy risks

NEW YORK (Reuters Health), May 14 - Contrary to earlier reports, gum disease, also referred to as periodontal disease, does not appear to be associated with preterm births and other pregnancy problems, according to a report in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"Given the theorized link between infection or inflammation and many adverse pregnancy outcomes, it is biologically plausible that periodontal disease may be linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes," write Dr. Sindhu K. Srinivas, of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, and colleagues.

Prior studies examining this topic have largely focused on a single pregnancy problem, the authors note. The current investigation, by contrast, looked at the impact of gum disease on a group of pregnancy-related problems, including preterm birth, poor fetal growth, newborn death, and preeclampsia, a potentially serious condition involving high blood pressure.

The researchers enrolled women from three hospitals who were between 6 and 20 weeks' gestation. A total of 311 women with gum disease and 475 women without gum disease were included in the study.

The authors found that women with gum disease were not at increased risk for the pregnancy-related complications studied.

"Although the biologic plausibility and the potential for a treatment that could reduce preterm birth and other adverse outcomes were promising, this study demonstrates that no association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes exists," Srinivas and colleagues conclude.

The team calls for further studies to look for other causes of pregnancy complications and to investigate strategies that may prevent them.

Source: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, May 2009.

Last Updated: 2009-05-14 16:12:01 -0400 (Reuters Health)

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