The connection between poor oral health such as gum disease and unborn babies has been established before but the new study from researchers at Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio has for the first time connected a pregnant mother’s gum infection to a stillbirth.
Pregnant women with untreated gum disease such as gingivitis may be risking the lives of their babies, says a new study.
Pregnant women who do not visit dentists, or maintain oral health, and allow oral bacteria to go unchecked are under the risk of having pre-term babies or babies with low birth weight.
The latest report on poor oral health among pregnant women cites the case of a mother with oral bacteria that led to an infection in a full-term baby, resulting in stillbirth.
So if there is one time in your life when it is absolutely essential to take the utmost care of your teeth and gums, it is during pregnancy. With all the hormonal changes going on in your body at this time, your risk of developing gum disease (pregnant women may suffer from pregnancy gingivitis – a condition which leads to bleeding of tender gums) goes up, and this can be detrimental to your developing baby’s health. In fact, doctors advise women who are hoping to conceive to get their teeth professionally cleaned and any tooth problems sorted out before conception.
What’s the connection?
You might be wondering what healthy gums have to do with your baby’s health. Researchers have demonstrated that women with gum disease are up to seven times more likely to deliver a pre-term baby or low-birth baby. A labor-inducing chemical found in oral bacteria called prostaglandin is responsible for this. Gum disease and cavities may enable oral bacteria to enter the blood stream and travel to the uterus, causing the mother to go into pre-term labor. In fact, studies have shown that women with gum disease have high levels of prostaglandin in their blood. Early labor means pre-term babies who are vulnerable to various conditions including vision and hearing loss, mental retardation, and premature death. Therefore, it is very important to control the levels of harmful bacteria in the mouth, especially during pregnancy.
Steps you must take:
Maintain good oral hygiene: Brush and floss regularly. If you are suffering from morning sickness, switch to a bland toothpaste after consulting options with your doctor. If you are having frequent bouts of vomiting, make sure you rinse your mouth frequently with water, or mouthwash advised by your dentist.
Visit your dentist: Inform your dentist that you are pregnant. Avoid scheduling any elective procedures and X-rays during your first trimester and the latter half of your third trimester, as these are important periods in your baby’s gestational cycle.
Make regular visits to your dentist so that he may flag any signs of gum disease and treat it. If you are diagnosed with gum disease during pregnancy, your dentist is likely to recommend a procedure called scaling and root planing that involves cleaning the surface of your teeth to get rid of plaque and tartar and removal of bacterial toxins from the root of your teeth. Studies have shown that this procedure may reduce the risk of pre-term labor in women with gum disease.
Eat healthy: Cravings are very common during pregnancy, and many women feel the urge to indulge in sugary treats. Try to rein in those cravings as sugar can play havoc on your teeth and increase your chances of tooth decay. Researchers also speculate that tooth decay-causing bacteria may pass on from the mother to the child.
Towards the end of your first trimester, your baby is developing his or her first teeth, so you want to make sure you’re getting enough calcium in your diet by eating dairy products during this time. Remember, by eating healthy, you are investing in your child’s oral health.
Avoid certain medications: Inform your doctor about any medications you might be taking, as some drugs are likely to interfere the development of your baby’s teeth. Some medicines during your pregnancy may cause yellowing of your baby’s teeth.
Taking good care of your oral health during pregnancy will improve your baby’s odds of being a full-term baby. Additionally, maintaining a healthy diet and getting in regular dental visits will not only help you establish healthy habits, it will ensure the healthy development of your baby’s teeth as well!
source: bolohealth
No comments:
Post a Comment