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Personal Oral Infection Control, Low Birthweight, and Preterm Births in Appalachia West Virginia: A Cross-Sectional

R Constance Wiener1, Christopher Waters2

  • 1Assistant Professor, Dental Practice and Rural Health, School of Dentistry, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 9448 Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center Addition 104a, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.

Advances in Preventive Medicine
|September 4, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Limited use of powered toothbrushes by pregnant women in West Virginia was associated with higher odds of preterm birth and low birthweight babies. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and develop effective interventions for improved maternal and infant health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Public Health
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

  • West Virginia, particularly Appalachia, faces higher rates of preterm birth and low birthweight infants compared to national averages.
  • While various factors influencing birth outcomes are studied, effective interventions remain limited.
  • Personal oral infection control, including dental hygiene, presents a potential avenue for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between inadequate personal oral infection control and adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women in West Virginia.
  • Specifically, to evaluate the relationship between limited powered toothbrush use and the incidence of preterm birth and low birthweight babies.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary data analysis of the West Virginia Healthy Start Helping Appalachian Parents and Infants (HAPI) Project (2005-2016).
  • Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio of poor birth outcomes based on powered toothbrush usage frequency (less than 13 times/week vs. 13+ times/week).

Main Results:

  • Analysis of 845 women revealed that infrequent powered toothbrush users (<13 times/week) had significantly higher odds of low birthweight babies (OR 2.07) and preterm birth (OR 1.78) in unadjusted models.
  • These associations, while trending positive, did not maintain statistical significance after adjustments in the logistic regression analysis.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights a potential link between suboptimal oral hygiene practices and adverse pregnancy outcomes in the studied population.
  • There is a critical need for developing and implementing targeted interventions to improve oral health among pregnant women.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore effective strategies for reducing preterm birth and low birthweight rates.
Abstract

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