title: Maternal periodontitis treatment and child neurodevelopment at 24 to 28 months of age.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some maternal infections are associated with impaired infant cognitive and motor performance. Periodontitis results in frequent bacteremia and elevated serum inflammatory mediators.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine if periodontitis treatment in pregnant women affects infant cognitive, motor, or language development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children born to women who had participated in a previous trial were assessed between 24 and 28 months of age by using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Third Edition) and the Preschool Language Scale (Fourth Edition). Information about the pregnancy, neonatal period, and home environment was obtained through chart abstractions, laboratory test results, and questionnaires. We compared infants born to women treated for periodontitis before 21 weeks' gestation (treatment group) or after delivery (controls). In unadjusted and adjusted analyses, associations between change in maternal periodontal condition during pregnancy and neurodevelopment scores were tested by using Student's t tests and linear regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 411 of 791 eligible mother/caregiver-child pairs participated. Thirty-seven participating children (9.0%) were born at <37 weeks' gestation. Infants in the treatment and control groups did not differ significantly for adjusted mean cognitive (90.7 vs 91.4), motor (96.8 vs 97.2), or language (92.2 vs 92.1) scores (all P > .5). Results were similar in adjusted analyses. Children of women who experienced greater improvements in periodontal health had significantly higher motor and cognitive scores (P = .01 and .02, respectively), although the effect was small (∼1-point increase for each SD increase in the periodontal measure).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nonsurgical periodontitis treatment in pregnant women was not associated with cognitive, motor, or language development in these study children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Surgical Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, 17-116 Moos Tower, 515 Delaware St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. micha002@umn.edu
authors.forename: Bryan S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Michalowicz
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lussky
authors.forename: Henrietta
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bada
authors.forename: Twila
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rawson
authors.forename: L Susan
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Buttross
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiriboga
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Diangelis
authors.forename: M John
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.forename: Dennis A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Panos N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Papapanou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007804:Language Development; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009909:Oral Health; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index