Abstract

PRE- TERM LOW BIRTH WEIGHT AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE

*Dr. R. Saranyan, Dr. Sreekanth P., Dr. G. Balaji Babu, Dr. B. Manovijay, Dr. Sajini Raj C. and Dr. Anitha A.

Abstract

Preterm birth is an important issue in public health and is a major cause for infant mortality and morbidity throughout the world. There is a growing consensus that systemic diseases elsewhere in the body may influence preterm low birth. Many risk factors have been identified including ethnicity, age, tobacco, systemic and oral infection. However, almost 50% of preterm birth causes still remain unknown. Periodontal diseases are a group of oral inflammatory diseases caused by bacterial plaque and their by products namely the enzymes and toxins that are influenced by host response factors. Recent studies have hypothesized that maternal periodontitis could be a high-risk factor for pre term low birth. There is increasing evidence today which suggests that periodontal infection caused primarily due to gram negative micro-organisms can have an adverse impact on the systemic health of the individual, acting as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Keywords: Pregnancy, pre term low birth, periodontal disease, risk factor.