Abstract
This report describes results of a survey of 129 pregnant women who attended a prenatal class lecture. Those at the beginning to middle term of their pregnancy responded to a questionnaire about consciousness of personal oral health and that of their unborn babies, and the responses were compared with those obtained in a previous report.We found no differences in answers to questions regarding age, birthing history, smoking experience, anxiety about oral health of the child, intentions about breast-feeding, or recognition of the relationship among periodontitis, smoking, alcohol consumption, and premature and low birth-weight infants as compared with the prior responses. A present poor condition and present difficulties with tooth brushing showed a greater number of responses than in the first report, while responses noting having a family dentist and understands mother-to-child transmission of cariogenic bacteria were fewer than in the first report.Poor condition and mental instability caused by morning sickness were evident at an average of 16.5 weeks of pregnancy. Our results imply that these differences were influenced by increased consciousness of personal health as a result of pregnancy. Furthermore, it seems that pregnant women have inadequate knowledge regarding dentistry and its relationship to health after childbirth. Thus, advice about oral health from the beginning of pregnancy by a community medical organization is considered important improve the health consciousness of pregnant women.
