Good Oral Health Lowers Newborn Problems

You may be able to brush away some pregnancy problems.

A new study from Queen Mary University of London shows that if pregnant women improve their dental hygiene, they might reduce complications in pregnancy and improve health of newborn babies. Researchers examined stomach contents containing swallowed amniotic fluid of 57 newborn babies. The work was presented recently at the Society for General Microbiology.

Why Better Oral Health Helps

Bacteria from a pregnant woman’s mouth may be transmitted through the blood and amniotic fluid in the womb to her unborn child. If that happens, the bacteria could contribute to a slew of problems, including:

• risk of a premature delivery
• low birth-weight baby
• premature onset of contractions
• infection of the newborn child

The researchers are currently sampling the stomach contents of newborn babies by using gastric aspirates, a common sample taken from babies after a complicated pregnancy. Utilizing DNA techniques, they hope to further explore how bacteria from mother’s mouth affects babies.

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