Abstract
Pregnancy can affect the mother’s oral health, increasing their susceptibility to oral diseases that have been associated with harmful effects on the newborn. Despite the severity of oral diseases during pregnancy, the demand for dental care during the gestational period is low, which may improve with the participation of midwives in promoting oral health activities. The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Spanish midwives and midwifery students regarding oral health in pregnant women; and (ii) to identify the barriers faced by these healthcare professionals in addressing oral health promotion during pregnancy. An observational cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. A total of 128 midwives and/or midwifery students ≥ 18 years old and of both sexes were invited to self-complete a questionnaire between January and April 2020. A total of 85 people participated in the study. Participants had a regular level of knowledge about oral health during pregnancy (overall knowledge score: 6.53), and although they were interested in activities that promote oral healthcare, their oral healthcare practices during pregnancy were limited. As midwives play an important role in promoting health, their training in oral healthcare could help to improve pregnant women’s oral health.
Highlights
Pregnancy is a normal state that encompasses conception to birth
Regardless of the different reasons referred to in the literature that may contribute to the low demand for dental care during pregnancy, such as the lack of knowledge of the impact that the mother’s oral health can have on the child [11,12,13] or the false belief that dental treatments are not safe during pregnancy [11,13,14,15], amongst others, all the responsibility for oral health of the pregnant women does not rest with the dentist [16]
Midwifery students of the Midwives’ Teaching Unit of Galicia, based in the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), and midwives working in Galicia, one of the autonomous communities in Spain, were invited to participate in the study between January and April of 2020
Summary
Pregnancy is a normal state that encompasses conception to birth. It involves multiple physiological changes, which can negatively affect oral health [1,2]. Regardless of the different reasons referred to in the literature that may contribute to the low demand for dental care during pregnancy, such as the lack of knowledge of the impact that the mother’s oral health can have on the child [11,12,13] or the false belief that dental treatments are not safe during pregnancy [11,13,14,15], amongst others, all the responsibility for oral health of the pregnant women does not rest with the dentist [16] To target this problem and given its efficiency [17,18,19,20], oral health during gestation and the postpartum period should be promoted by a multidisciplinary team, with midwives playing an important role, given their close contact with pregnant women during the prenatal visits until after they have given birth [3,21]. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices in a sample of Spanish midwives and midwifery students regarding oral health in pregnant women; and (ii) to identify the barriers experienced by these healthcare professionals in addressing oral health promotion during pregnancy
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