Maternal periodontal disease is associated with an increased risk for preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if maternal periodontal disease is associated with the development of preeclampsia.


METHODS
A cohort of 1,115 healthy pregnant women were enrolled at less than 26 weeks' gestation and followed until delivery. Maternal demographic and medical data were collected. Periodontal examinations were performed at enrollment and within 48 hours of delivery to determine the presence of severe periodontal disease or periodontal disease progression. Preeclampsia was defined as blood pressure greater than 140/90 on two separate occasions, and at least 1+ proteinuria on catheterized urine specimen. The potential effects of maternal age, race, smoking, gestational age at delivery, and insurance status were analyzed, and adjusted odds ratios for preeclampsia were calculated using multivariable logistic regression.


RESULTS
During the study period, 763 women delivered live infants and had data available for analysis. Thirty-nine women had preeclampsia. Women were at higher risk for preeclampsia if they had severe periodontal disease at delivery (adjusted odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.1, 5.3), or if they had periodontal disease progression during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval 1.0, 4.4).


CONCLUSIONS
After adjusting for other risk factors, active maternal periodontal disease during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk for the development of preeclampsia.
Boggess
Kim A
KA
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. kboggess@med.unc.edu
Lieff
Susi
S
Murtha
Amy P
AP
Moss
Kevin
K
Beck
James
J
Offenbacher
Steven
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008423:Maternal Age; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors