Maternal periodontal disease as a risk factor for preterm birth and low-birth-weight babies: a case-control study

Periodontal disease is considered a public health problem because of its high prevalence, while premature birth is a serious perinatal problem, persisting as one of the major causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal periodontal disease on the occurrence of preterm birth and the birth weight of their babies. The study sample included 45 new mothers, aged 18-35 years, who presented either slight or moderate to severe localized or generalized chronic periodontitis with bleeding on probing and gingival inflammation. The women were divided into 2 groups: slight periodontal disease (SPD; n = 15) and moderate to severe periodontal disease (MSPD; n = 30). The women underwent periodontal evaluations 48 hours after delivery of their newborns. The evaluations consisted of the following parameters: Plaque Control Record, Gingival Index, probing depth, clinical attachment level, and gingival crevicular fluid analysis. In addition, pregnancy data and neonate data, such as birth weight and gestational age at birth, were collected. In the MSPD group, there were moderate, statistically significant negative correlations between the amount of maternal gingival crevicular fluid and the newborn's gestational age at birth (-0.5388; P = 0.0014); maternal Plaque Control Record and gestational age (-0.5026; P = 0.0046); and maternal Gingival Index and gestational age (-0.4562; P = 0.0112). In the SPD group, there were no statistically significant correlations between the maternal periodontal parameters and the newborn's gestational age or birth weight. The data in the present study suggest that the presence of inflammation caused by moderate to severe periodontitis may represent a risk factor for the occurrence of preterm birth.