Lack of association between oral health conditions and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Italian postpartum women

Purpose: to evaluate the oral health conditions in postpartum women and the relationship to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Methods: a sample population of 750 post-partum women who had delivered at the University hospitals of three main italian cities were interviewed and examined bedside within 5 days from delivery. Data collection concerned (i) pregnancy outcomes (low birth weight, prematurity and other obstetric conditions), (ii) demography, education, systemic health, smoking habits, oral hygiene habits, self-reported oral symptoms, (iii) dental (DMFT), periodontal (PPD, CAL, BOP) and oral mucosal conditions. Simple and multiple regressions analysis were performed. Results: 14.6% (n=110) children were born premature, 11.2% (n=84) low birth weight and 49 (6.5%) were born premature and with low birth weight. In general, adverse outcomes were 230 (30.6%), and controls 520 (69.3%). Cases and controls did not significantly differ in mean age, birthplace, ethnicity, education and smoking habits nor in DMFT or periodontal indices. Less than 5% of the subjects showed oral mucosal diseases or conditions. Regression analysis indicated that there were no significant relationships between the presence and severity of oral diseases and conditions and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions and Relevance: No association was found between periodontal diseases in the mother and adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, our study population is different from previously reported case-control populations in both demographic factors and the level of periodontal disease. More data need to be collected in order to exclude the proposed potential link between periodontitis and the risk of pregnancy complications