title: Very low and low birth weight associated with maternal periodontitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of very low and low birth weight (VLBW and LBW) with maternal periodontitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall, 1206 women were examined at post-partum and two alternative criteria for periodontitis definition were used: (1) four or more teeth with at least one site with probing depth (PD) ≥ 4 mm and clinical attachment loss (CAL) ≥ 3 mm; and (2) at least one site with PD and CAL ≥ 4 mm. For each definition, two multivariate analyses were performed: (1) linear regression for birth weight; (2) ordinal logistic regression for birth weight, categorized as adequate (n = 1046), LBW (n = 145) and VLBW (n = 15).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Linear regression showed that maternal periodontitis was associated with a decrease in mean birth weight (periodontitis definition 1: p = 0.027; periodontitis definition 2: p = 0.003). Ordinal logistic regression showed that maternal periodontitis was associated with LBW and VLBW [odds ratio (OR) = 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39-2.90, when considering periodontitis definition 2]; and with LBW (OR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.15-2.36, when considering periodontitis definition 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal periodontitis was associated with a decrease in mean birth weight, as well as with LBW and VLBW.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Socio-Medical Sciences, Biostatistics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Alcalá University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alessandra N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silva-Mato
authors.forename: Fernanda M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Renata M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cyrino
authors.forename: Luís O M
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Cota
authors.forename: Fernando O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D055815:Young Adult