title: Chronic periodontitis and pre-term labour in Brazilian pregnant women: an association to be analysed.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between chronic periodontitis (CP) and pre-maturity in a group of Brazilian pregnant women from the State of São Paulo.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty-four women were investigated consecutively in a cross-sectional study, between December 2003 and May 2005. Sixty-eight women had pre-term labour (PTL) and 56 had term labour. A periodontal examination was carried out to identify the presence of CP. Statistical analysis used the Fisher's exact test or chi(2) for the discrete variables and the Mann-Whitney test for the non-parametric variables. Odds ratio (OR) was calculated with a 95% confidence interval (CI), to evaluate the relation between CP and pre-maturity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Periodontal indicators, such as clinical attachment loss (p<0.0001) and bleeding on probing (p=0.012), were observed more in the PTL group. The presence of CP increased the risk for PTL (OR: 4.7, 95% CI: 1.9-11.9), pre-term birth (PTB; OR: 4.9, 95% CI: 1.9-12.8) and low birth weight (<2500 g; OR: 4.2, 95% CI: 1.3-13.3). The pregnant women with PTL presented low levels of schooling (p=0.029) and the lowest number of pre-natal appointments (p=0.0001) when compared with those with term labour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CP is strongly associated with PTL, PTB and low birth weight in a group of Brazilian pregnant women. These data point to the necessity of regularly investigating CP during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, São Leopoldo Mandic Dental Research Institute, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvio A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Santos-Pereira
authors.forename: Paulo C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Giraldo
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saba-Chujfi
authors.forename: Rose L G
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Sirlei S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fachini
authors.forename: Ana Katherine S
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001938:Brazil; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology*; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000150:complications; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy