Prevention in Pregnancy

To evaluate the oral health, oral hygiene, and dietary habits of pregnant women, as well as the health status and habits of their children in their first few months of life. This project, implemented through an agreement between the Pescara Local Health Authority and the "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti and Pescara, enabled these investigations to be carried out and assessed satisfaction with pre-/post-partum courses.

This is a descriptive statistical analysis conducted on a sample of participants from a maternal and child oral health education project.

The project was conducted from June 2023 to December 2024 and enabled 500 pregnant women to participate in pre- and post-partum courses. Of these participants, 105 underwent a free dental examination and agreed to complete a first questionnaire. Subsequently, 53 of these women responded to a second questionnaire regarding the post-partum period. The questionnaires aimed to collect data on general and oral health, dietary and oral hygiene habits, and information about the newborn, their birth, and their first few months of life.

From the first questionnaire, it was found that 52.4% of women reported gum bleeding during pregnancy and 40% reported gum swelling. 51.4% had a dental check-up in the previous year, and 58.1% did not use interdental cleaning aids. The second questionnaire revealed that 51.9% of mothers experienced oral problems after childbirth, but of these, only 34.6% underwent a dental check-up. Regarding family habits, 51.9% of parents stated that they engaged in salivary exchange with the child, and 7.69% of newborns had a dental check-up after birth. 88.5% of mothers found the courses useful.

The study confirms the prevalence of gum problems during pregnancy and, at the same time, the low level of interest in oral health and, consequently, in dental check-ups. The need to increase awareness about the risks of certain habits, such as salivary exchange, is evident. However, the high satisfaction rate with the courses and the interest shown by most of the project participants-who are still in contact with the dental facilities-demonstrate the effectiveness of the courses. It is therefore hoped that the study can be expanded on a larger scale and that the role of the paediatric dentist can be included in pre-/post-partum pathways.