Gums bacteria can cause preterm delivery

Proper dental care can prevent heart attacks, heart blockages, asthma and COPD. This was stated by Padma Shri, Dr B C Roy & DST National Science Communication Awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India and Honorary Secretary General IMA. Bacteria present in the gums have been linked to many diseases in the past.

Periodontal treatment should be included in prenatal care programs, as per a study in the Journal of Periodontology, which has shown that treating gum disease in pregnant women may prevent preterm birth.

The study has shown that while pregnant women, in whom the periodontal disease was treated, were no more likely to deliver their babies prematurely than women with no gum disease, those who did not get treatment had a nearly 90-fold increased risk of premature delivery.

Another study found that the more bacteria women with periodontal disease had in their gums during and after pregnancy, the more likely they were to deliver their infants prematurely.