Pregnant women with periodontal disease: can complete blood count be useful?

Prenatal care is of fundamental importance and must be carried out by a multidisciplinary healthcare team, including dental care, as several changes and complications affecting the oral cavity may occur during pregnancy. This was a cross-sectional study that aimed to analyze the hematological profile of pregnant women with and without periodontal disease (PD). Data were obtained by consulting medical and dental records, which were stratified into two subgroups: pregnant women with PD (n=107) and pregnant women without PD (n=42). Study variables were related to PD, sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics. Data were collected from the complete blood count and the following indices were calculated: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), derived NLR (dNLR), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), aggregate index of systemic inflammation (AISI), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). The mean age in both subgroups was 27 years. Pregnant women with less education had more PD. Mean corpuscular volume was significantly higher in pregnant women with PD, probably a reflection of folate deficiency. White blood cell and lymphocyte counts were significantly higher in pregnant women with periodontitis, possibly reflecting an inflammatory process caused by bacterial invasion of the periodontium with systemic repercussions. This study reinforces the need for a multidisciplinary team, including a dentist, in prenatal care, to lower the risk of complications for the mother and child.