Placental colonization with periodontal pathogens: the potential missing link.

ABSTRACT: Observational studies demonstrate that women with severe periodontitis have a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes like preterm birth and low birthweight. Standard treatment for periodontitis in the form of scaling and root planing during the second trimester failed to reduce the risk of preterm or low birthweight. It is premature to dismiss the association between periodontitis and adverse pregnancy outcomes because one explanation for the failure of scaling and root planing to reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes is that periodontal pathogens spread to the placental tissue prior to periodontal treatment. In the placenta, orally derived organisms could cause direct tissue damage or mediate a maternal immune response that impairs the growth of the developing fetus. Sequencing

SUBMITTER: Fischer LA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6821581 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature