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Gum or periodontal
disease is caused by a chronic bacterial infection and can
lead to bone loss, damaged gum tissue and even tooth loss.
However, even more frightening is the fact that a new study
suggests that gum disease may also increase the risk of preterm
birth, and it is not the first time this association has been
made. Overall, studies have concluded that the increased risk
is anywhere from 3 to 8 times as great.
Preterm birth is
an important cause of illness in American infants and often
results in long-term damage such as neurological disability.
Although studies
in animals and humans have suggested that infections in general
can be a cause of preterm birth, it is not entirely clear
why gum disease contributes to preterm birth. However, mouth
infections cause inflammation, which is associated with a
number of naturally occurring factors, such as prostaglandins
and cytokines.
The biological
mechanism is still being studied, but it has been shown that
periodontal infections in animals impair fetal growth. This
impaired growth is believed to be due to the enhanced release
of cytokines, such as prostaglandin and tumor necrosis factor.
These same substances have been shown to elicit preterm delivery
in humans (Journal of Periodontology 1996; 67[10 suppl]:1103-1113).
Because of this
effect, prostaglandin-like drugs are often used in obstetrics
to induce labor or help it progress. So, given how closely
related these drugs are to the body's own prostaglandins,
it makes sense that infections involving severe inflammation
could be associated with preterm birth.
This study found
that the worse the gum disease was, the more likely a woman
was to have a preterm birth. One of the researchers suggests
that women contemplating pregnancy and those already pregnant
"should ask their dentist to examine them for periodontal
disease."
Annual
Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research June,
2000
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