Untreated periodontitis in pregnant women may increase the risk for a low-birthweight infant

Subjects

A total of 881 pregnant and dentate women, aged 18 to 35, all of low socioeconomic status, were recruited in prenatal care clinics in Santiago, Chile, before 21 weeks' gestation. Each study participant delivered an infant between April 1998 and December 2000.

Suspected Etiology

Individuals with and without periodontitis were compared. Included in the group of individuals with periodontitis were 263 women diagnosed as having periodontitis on the basis of the presence of 4 or more teeth showing 1 or more sites with a probing depth 4 mm or higher, and with clinical attachment loss 3 mm or higher at the same site. These women were monitored every 4 to 6 weeks during the gestational period, but did not receive any treatment.

The remaining 459 women were included in the group without periodontitis. These women were diagnosed as having gingivitis or mild periodontitis and received subgingival scaling if needed, a 0.12% chlorhexidine solution to be used once a day, and maintenance treatment every 2 to 3 weeks until delivery.

Outcome

Low birthweight (infant < 2500 g).

Main Results

Women with periodontitis were 3.5 times as likely as women without periodontitis to deliver a low-birthweight infant (95% CI: 1.06–11.4).