title: Maternal periodontal disease and preterm low birthweight: case-control study.
abstract: Periodontal disease has been suggested to be an important risk factor for preterm low birthweight (PLBW). Here we report a case-control study of 236 cases (infants < 37 wks and weighing < 2499 g) and a daily random sample of 507 controls (> or = 38 wks and weighing > or = 2500 g). Clinical periodontal indices were measured on the labor wards. Associated risk factors for periodontal disease and PLBW were ascertained by means of a structured questionnaire and maternity notes. The risk for PLBW decreased with increasing pocket depth (odds ratio [OR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68 to 1.00). After adjustment for maternal age, ethnicity, maternal education, smoking, alcohol consumption, infections, and hypertension during pregnancy, this decreased further (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.99). We found no evidence for an association between PLBW and periodontal disease. Our results do not support a specific drive to improve periodontal health of pregnant women as a means of improving pregnancy outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Growth and Development, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London, Turner Street, London E1 2AD, UK. E.S.Davenport@mds.qmw.ac.uk
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.forename: C E C S
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: J A C
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sterne
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murad
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sivapathasundram
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Curtis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008423:Maternal Age; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires