Premium
Maternal periodontal disease and spontaneous preterm birth
Author(s) -
Michalowicz Bryan S.,
Durand Robert
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
periodontology 2000
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.725
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1600-0757
pISSN - 0906-6713
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0757.2006.00197.x
Subject(s) - medicine , periodontal disease , premature birth , medline , obstetrics , disease , pregnancy , dentistry , gestational age , biology , political science , law , genetics
Reducing preterm birth rates is a formidable, yet critical, challenge to the healthcare community worldwide. Preterm birth is associated with about half of all congenital neurological disabilities and perinatal mortality (8, 44). Despite improved access to prenatal care and infant survival rates, the preterm birth rate in the U.S.A. has increased slowly, but steadily, over the past 20 years (42). Although there are many theories regarding the etiology of preterm birth, the most probable pathway involves premature decidual activation. There is growing evidence that maternal infections are an important cause of preterm delivery (24). An estimated 50% of spontaneous preterm birth is associated with ascending genital tract infections (35). The maternal and fetal immune responses to bacterial insults appear to trigger a host of changes in the uterine cavity that may lead to premature labor. For these reasons, researchers have explored the role of other maternal infections in the etiology of preterm birth. The aim of this article was to review the epidemiology of preterm birth and the current knowledge of the relationship between maternal periodontal disease and preterm birth. Periodontal disease has been studied in association with other pregnancy outcomes, including low birth weight, pre-eclampsia and miscarriage; however, this review focuses on the association of periodontal disease with preterm birth. The reader is referred elsewhere for discussion of these other pregnancy outcomes (31, 40, 68, 75).