Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that periodontal diseases in pregnant women may be a significant risk factor for low-birth-weight deliveries (less than 2,500g). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between the oral health condition, health behavior of pregnant women, and low-birth-weight outcome. We performed oral examinations and conducted a survey of pregnant women to investigate their oral health status and behavior in Tokushima Prefecture. Among 739 pregnant women that received oral examinations, 454 (61.4%) reported complaints and inconvenience related to their oral cavities, 380 women (51.4%) reported gingival bleeding on brushing, while 406 women (54.9%) had teeth which needed treatment. Three hundred and one women (40.7%) harbored periodontal pockets with a depth ≥4mm, and were assigned a Community Periodontal Index (CPI) code of 3 or 4. On the other hand, there were only 136 women (18.4%) who received regular dental checkups. The percentage of pregnant women with a CPI of 3 or 4 was higher than that of women in the same age group based on the Comprehensive Guide to the Survey of Dental Diseases (2005). The percentage of subjects with a CPI of 3 or 4 among pregnant women with a smoking habit was higher than in a group of non-smoking pregnant women (p<0.05). All pregnant women with a smoking habit had a CPI≥1. In addition, we examined the relationship between the oral health status of the pregnant women and a low-birth-weight outcome. Stepwise logistic regression analysis of the 227 pregnant women who signed the informed consent document for this study showed that a smoking habit (OR 5.96, 95% CI 1.16-30.53, p=0.03) and periodontal pocket depth ≥4mm (OR 3.34, 95% CI 1.18-9.42, p=0.02) were significantly associated with low-birth-weight deliveries. In conclusion, efforts should be made to motivate pregnant women to undergo regular dental checkups for periodontal disease prevention and quit smoking.
