Summary

Original source:
http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/03/23/hscout524586.html

Details

• Pregnant women with poor oral health are more likely to deliver prematurely, researchers report.
• Their study of nearly 300 women found a significant association between high levels of an oral bacterium, Actinomyces naeslundii genospecies 2 -- associated with tooth decay -- and risk of delivering preterm low birth weight babies.
• This is the first research to link preterm delivery with oral bacteria other than the bacteria that cause gum disease.
• The findings add to growing evidence that a woman's oral health affects the health of her newborn.
• A tenfold increase in bacterial levels was associated with a 60-gram decrease in birth weight and about a 1.19 day decrease in the length of pregnancy, researchers at the New York University College of Dentistry report in the latest issue of the Journal of Periodontology.
• In a prepared statement, lead researcher Dr. Ananda P. Dasanayake hypothesized that oral bacteria associated with tooth decay and cavities may travel to the uterus.
• Once in the uterus, the bacteria, along with molecules called proinflammatory mediators (released by the body in response to the bacteria), could lead to uterine contractions and cervical dilation.
• She speculated that when the cervix is dilated, more bacteria enter -- eventually causing the uterine membranes to rupture, resulting in preterm birth.

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