Oral health and adverse pregnancy outcomes : a multicentric study

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the oral health conditions in postpartum women and the relation to adverse obstetric outcomes. Methods: 304 women were examined postpartum ≤5-days since delivery, through a standardised questionnaire and a full oral examination; DMFT and PSR and obstetric data were recorded. Case subjects (n=62) had Preterm Delivery (PD, < 37 weeks) and/or delivered Small for gestational age (SGA) newborns (birthweight <10° centile) and/or Preeclampsia (PE/PIH) or PROM. Control subjects (n=242) had normal pregnancies, delivered at or around term and had newborns with normal weights. Association between oral indexes, questionnaire data and obstetric outcomes were estimated with Pearson correlation coefficients, χ2 test for trends, factor analysis using the Principal Components method for self-perceived oral attitudes and stepwise logistic regression. Results: Cases and controls did not significantly differ in mean age, birthplace, ethnicity, education and smoking habits nor in DMFT or PSR. In 62 cases obstetric adverse outcomes were PD=25, SGA=21, PE/PIH=12 PROM=11. Oral hygiene habits and periodontal subjective complaints during pregnancy were similar in the two groups. Logistic models were statistically significant but no one of the covariates was. A moderately significant association was observed regarding cases and level of periodontal disease (χ2 for trend = 4.07 p=0.04). Less than 5% of the subjects showed oral mucosal diseases or conditions. Conclusions and Relevance: This report focused the role of oral hygienic and behavioural habits as determinants of oral health status but failed to observe correlation between the oral and obstetric parameters evaluated.