SYDNEY: The latest research from the University of Sydney has found that treatment of gingivitis during pregnancy has been reducing the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight in babies.
Pregnant women undergo hormonal changes during pregnancy, making them susceptible to gingivitis, i.e., gum inflammation that causes bleeding gums and periodontitis, i.e., severe gum infection, which is irreversible.
Previous studies showed that periodontitis had been related to poor pregnancy outcomes, but this study was conducted to identify if gingivitis would also be related to it.
Therefore, Quynh-Anh Le, the lead author of the research, and colleagues included more than 1,000 patients from three randomised control trials.
They found positive pregnancy outcomes of good dental health in more than 600 women.
Their review also found that even mild inflammation in the oral cavity, including the gums, can impact pregnancy outcomes in which babies are born premature or with low birth weight.
Gingivitis releases bacteria and inflammatory markers into the systemic bloodstream, which may reach the placenta during pregnancy and induce adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm delivery and low birth weight.
Hence, this analysis showed that the treatment of gingivitis might improve pregnancy outcomes by reducing premature birth and increasing birth weight.
The research 'Does Treatment of Gingivitis During Pregnancy Improves Pregnancy Outcomes? A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis' has recently been published in the Journal of Oral Health and Preventive Dentistry.
