Thursday, January 28, 2010
Oral Bacteria Linked to Stillbirth by Shawn Watson of About.Com
Thursday January 28, 2010
If you are pregnant, considering becoming pregnant in the future, or know someone that fits into either category, PAY ATENTION, because this information could save a life.
Researcher Yiping Han, from the department of periodontilogy at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine has reported the first documented case of stillbirth caused by an oral bacteria. The 35 year old mother suffered from pregnancy gingivitis. At 39 weeks, five days - which is considered to be full term - the mother sadly delivered her stillborn baby.
An autopsy was preformed which revealed the presence of F. nucleatum - an oral bacteria - in the lungs and stomach of the infant. The baby had died from a septic infection and inflammation caused by bacteria. The mother told Han that she suffered from excessive gum bleeding, known as pregnancy induced gingivitis, during her pregnancy. When the gums bleed, bacteria in the mouth is able to get into he blood stream. According to a press release from the university, Han says normally a mother's immune system takes care of the bacteria in the blood before it reaches the placenta. But in this case, the mother also experienced an upper respiratory infection like a cold and low-grade fever just a few days before the stillbirth. Han suspects that the bacteria entered the amniotic fluid, where the baby was able to ingest the bacteria.
How can this be prevented? The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry created some very easily attainable Oral Health Guidelines for Pregnant Women. One of the biggest misconceptions related to dentistry and pregnancy is this idea that dental care during pregnancy will harm your unborn baby. For years, experts have insisted that expectant mothers have the health of their teeth and gums examined and monitored during their pregnancy.
Preterm birth has been connected to gum disease in the past. Duke University Medical Center and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill teamed up in 2009, for one of the largest randomized trial to date, to study how the treatment of gum disease during pregnancy would effect the apparent link between preterm birth and the disease. The researchers found that the treatment of gum disease during pregnancy did not reduce the rate of preterm birth, suggesting that gum disease, especially advanced periodontal disease, should be controlled before a woman becomes pregnant. The American Academy of Periodontology responded to Duke's findings by releasing a statement that insisted pregnant woman continue with their dental treatment throughout their pregnancy.
Most women make lifestyle changes before the become pregnant, in an effort to deliver a healthy baby. Now, more than ever, making sure that you are free from gum disease before you become pregnant, and during your pregnancy, should become a priority for every woman considering having a baby. If you have questions or concerns about how your gum disease could be affecting the health of your baby, please speak with your dentist or physician. If you experience excessive bleeding of the gums during your pregnancy, do not hesitate, and contact your dentist for an appointment.
Emphasizing her findings, Han really drives it home by stating: "There is an old wives' tale that you lose a tooth for each baby, and this is due to the underlying changes during pregnancy, but if there is another underlying condition in the background, then you may lose more than a tooth but a baby."
If you are pregnant, considering becoming pregnant in the future, or know someone that fits into either category, PAY ATENTION, because this information could save a life.
Researcher Yiping Han, from the department of periodontilogy at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine has reported the first documented case of stillbirth caused by an oral bacteria. The 35 year old mother suffered from pregnancy gingivitis. At 39 weeks, five days - which is considered to be full term - the mother sadly delivered her stillborn baby.
An autopsy was preformed which revealed the presence of F. nucleatum - an oral bacteria - in the lungs and stomach of the infant. The baby had died from a septic infection and inflammation caused by bacteria. The mother told Han that she suffered from excessive gum bleeding, known as pregnancy induced gingivitis, during her pregnancy. When the gums bleed, bacteria in the mouth is able to get into he blood stream. According to a press release from the university, Han says normally a mother's immune system takes care of the bacteria in the blood before it reaches the placenta. But in this case, the mother also experienced an upper respiratory infection like a cold and low-grade fever just a few days before the stillbirth. Han suspects that the bacteria entered the amniotic fluid, where the baby was able to ingest the bacteria.
How can this be prevented? The Academy of Pediatric Dentistry created some very easily attainable Oral Health Guidelines for Pregnant Women. One of the biggest misconceptions related to dentistry and pregnancy is this idea that dental care during pregnancy will harm your unborn baby. For years, experts have insisted that expectant mothers have the health of their teeth and gums examined and monitored during their pregnancy.
Preterm birth has been connected to gum disease in the past. Duke University Medical Center and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill teamed up in 2009, for one of the largest randomized trial to date, to study how the treatment of gum disease during pregnancy would effect the apparent link between preterm birth and the disease. The researchers found that the treatment of gum disease during pregnancy did not reduce the rate of preterm birth, suggesting that gum disease, especially advanced periodontal disease, should be controlled before a woman becomes pregnant. The American Academy of Periodontology responded to Duke's findings by releasing a statement that insisted pregnant woman continue with their dental treatment throughout their pregnancy.
Most women make lifestyle changes before the become pregnant, in an effort to deliver a healthy baby. Now, more than ever, making sure that you are free from gum disease before you become pregnant, and during your pregnancy, should become a priority for every woman considering having a baby. If you have questions or concerns about how your gum disease could be affecting the health of your baby, please speak with your dentist or physician. If you experience excessive bleeding of the gums during your pregnancy, do not hesitate, and contact your dentist for an appointment.
Emphasizing her findings, Han really drives it home by stating: "There is an old wives' tale that you lose a tooth for each baby, and this is due to the underlying changes during pregnancy, but if there is another underlying condition in the background, then you may lose more than a tooth but a baby."
0 Comments: