Periodontitis and Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Primiparas

Background The theory that inflammatory periodontal disease may be involved in systemic disorders, such as preterm birth and low birth weight (LBW), has been a popular topic for many studies aiming to prove this connection. There is no clear consensus among researchers as to whether periodontal issues during pregnancy can independently cause adverse pregnancy outcomes, which remains a significant public health concern. This study focused on primiparous women as a sensitive group to examine their periodontal health and their pregnancy outcome. Methods Data on periodontal and obstetric health were collected from 97 primiparous women randomly examined at the University of Prishtina Obstetric Clinic. The periodontal examination included plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment level, gingival recession, and missing teeth. Obstetric records helped determine pregnancy outcomes; the case group included women who delivered a preterm or LBW baby, while the control group included women with normal gestation and birth weight, respectively. Results Subjects with LBW showed higher values for all periodontal parameters compared to controls. In contrast, those with preterm delivery had higher values for periodontal pocket depth and clinical attachment level, but not for other parameters. The unadjusted odds of delivering before the normal gestation period were 5.5 times higher in the periodontitis group, and this risk increased to 7.3‐fold higher for delivering low‐weight babies. Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, our findings show an unadjusted association between periodontitis and higher occurrence of preterm delivery and LBW among the primiparous women in this cohort. These results should be interpreted as preliminary.