Periodontal Disease and Adverse Neonatal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (prospective cohort and case-control)
PubMed 35601423 · doi:10.3389/fped.2022.799740
What was done
Authors searched Ovid Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library through December 6, 2020, for observational studies in English or Chinese examining maternal periodontal disease (PD) versus periodontal health in relation to preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), and small for gestational age (SGA). Two authors independently extracted data. Meta-analyses using fixed- or random-effects models were performed to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
What was found
Twenty-four studies (14 case-control and 10 prospective cohort studies) with 15,278 participants were included: - PTB was significantly associated with PD in a fixed-effect meta-analysis (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.39–1.77, P < 0.00001). - LBW was significantly associated with PD in a random-effects meta-analysis (OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.75–3.37, P < 0.00001). - SGA showed no statistically significant association with PD in a random-effects meta-analysis (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 0.86–3.07, P = 0.136).
Why it matters
This review aggregates observational data showing maternal periodontal disease is linked to increased odds of preterm birth and low birth weight, supporting maternal oral health screening in prenatal care.
Limits
The underlying evidence consists entirely of observational studies (over half case-control), precluding causal inference. The abstract notes a lack of standardized diagnostic criteria for PD across included studies and calls for better control of confounding factors. Inclusion was restricted to English and Chinese publications.
Cited by
- supports Gum disease and oral inflammation cross the placental barrier and cause complications such as preterm birth and low birth weight.