Evaluation of the Relationship between Maternal Periodontitis and Preterm Low Birth Weight Infants: A Case Control Study

Introduction: The relationship between periodontal disease in pregnancy and children born prematurely or with low birth weight has been increasingly investigated showing both positive and negative results. Various factors found to be associated with preterm and low birth weight infants include age of mother, height, weight, socio-economic status, ethinicity,smoking, alcohol, nutritional status and stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between Maternal Periodontitis and preterm delivery or low birthweight.

Materials and Method: In this case-control study, 30 pregnant women without systemic diseases or other risk factors for preterm labour were chosen. The control group (n=15) had term labour (infants > 37 weeks) and the case group (n=15) had preterm labour (infants< 37 weeks). Birth weight of the infant, bleeding index, plaque index, probing depth and loss of attachment of the mother were measured.

Results: The data of plaque index (cases 1.22 + 0.36, control 0.83 + 0.32), bleeding index (cases 2.16 + 0.52, control 1.32 + 0.51), probing depth (case 5.13 + 0.32, control 3.20 + 0.31), loss of attachment (case 3.25 + 0.13, control 2.03 + 0.03), and birth weight (case 2.34 + 0.21, control 2.97 + 0.52) (odds ratio 135.5, P value <0.0001) revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusions: A noticeable relationship between periodontal health and duration of pregnancy can be established. Hence periodontal disease may be considered as a risk factor for preterm labour. Oral hygiene maintenance therefore should be considered a part of prenatal care protocol.