title: Risk of Allergic Rhinitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis, and Eczema in Children Born to Mothers with Gum Inflammation during Pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite links between maternal and child health status, evidence on the association between gum infection in pregnant mothers and childhood allergies is scarce. We aim to evaluate the risk of developing allergy in children born to periodontal mothers in a nationwide study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a 9-year population-based, retrospective cohort study using Taiwan's National Health Insurance database. A study cohort of 42,217 newborns born to mothers with periodontal disease during pregnancy was identified in 2001 and matched with 42,334 babies born to mothers without any infection (control) by mother's age at delivery and baby sex. With a follow-up period from 2001 to 2010, we observed the incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), and eczema in these children. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed with premature deaths as competing risk for the estimation of allergic disease risks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine-year cumulative incidences were the highest among children born to periodontal mothers; they reached 46.8%, 24.2%, and 40.4% (vs. 39.5%, 18.3% and 34.8% in control) for AR, AC, and eczema, respectively. Our results showed moderately increased risks for the allergies in children born to periodontal mothers relative to their matched non-inflammatory control (adjusted HRs: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.15-1.20; 1.27, 1.24-1.31; 1.14, 1.12-1.17, respectively). Because the impact of food consumption and living environment cannot be considered using insurance data, we attempted to control it by adjusting for parental income and mother's residential area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall cumulative incidence and risks of children born to periodontal mothers for AR, AC, and eczema are significantly higher than those born to non-inflammatory mothers. Gum infection in women during pregnancy is an independent risk factor for allergic diseases in children, thus its intergenerational consequences should be considered in gestational care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Administration, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Vivian Chia-Rong
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-Chen
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Center for General Education, Asia University, Wufeng, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, College of Medicine and Nursing, Hungkuang University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.|Department of Healthcare Administration, Asia University, Wufeng, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Trong-Neng
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003233:Conjunctivitis, Allergic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D008297:Male; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D065631:Rhinitis, Allergic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult