Pregnant women urged to attend routine check-ups

Pregnant women have been actively encouraged to attend regular, routine dental check-ups after researchers discovered bacteria associated by gum disease caused a woman to deliver a stillborn baby.

The 35 year old woman, who has not been named, had been suffering with the common gum condition, gingivitis but had not received any treatment for the illness. When experts examined the body of the stillborn child, they discovered traces of the woman’s oral bacteria in the baby’s vital organs and bloodstream.

The findings of the study, by Yiping Han from the Department of Periodontics at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Dental Medicine in Ohio, have recently been published in the Obstetrics Gynaecology journal. The study concluded that oral health conditions could cause disturbances and contamination of the amniotic fluid, which protects the foetus in the womb. Researchers from the Queen Mary University in London have also been researching this subject and have found that oral bacteria from an expectant mother can be transferred to their unborn child via the bloodstream or amniotic fluid.

Oral bacteria that are passed from the mother to the baby have also been found to cause low birth weight and premature birth, as well as stillbirth. Due to hormonal changes, a change in eating habits and a tendency to vomit more than usual, pregnant women are at greater risk of developing oral health conditions.

In light of these studies, dentists and health experts are urging women to take advantage of the free dental care provided by the NHS during pregnancy and visit their dentist for routine check-ups; it is particularly important that pregnant women who display the symptoms of gum conditions make an appointment to see their dentist as soon as possible. Common symptoms of gingivitis include redness and tenderness in the gums, sore gums and bleeding, especially during brushing.

Visiting the dentist can also help to prevent other oral conditions which may contribute to general health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.

Subscribe to the latest cosmetic dentistry news via the RSS feed

Other news for: Aug - 2009, Sep - 2009, Oct - 2009, Nov - 2009, Dec - 2009, Jan - 2010, Feb - 2010, Mar - 2010, Apr - 2010, May - 2010, Jun - 2010, Jul - 2010,