Radiological screening of maternal periodontitis for predicting adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes

Ju Sun Heo,Ki Hoon Ahn,Jung Soo Park

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-78385-0

Ju Sun Heo, Ki Hoon Ahn + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78385-0

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Abstract

It is well known that periodontitis, diagnosed mainly by periodontal probing, is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, periodontal probing is time-consuming, highly discomforting, inaccurate, and invasive. We aimed to assess whether periodontitis severity based on radiological staging in accordance with the 2017 new consensus classification was related to adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. The medical records of 165 mothers who underwent panoramic radiography within 5 years before and after the time of delivery and of their singleton neonates were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-two mothers (13.3%) had severe periodontitis (SP), and 143 (86.7%) had mild or moderate periodontitis (MP). In relation to adverse pregnancy outcomes, uterine leiomyoma (18.2% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.029), chronic hypertension (9.1% vs. 0.7%, P = 0.047), and preeclampsia (13.6% vs. 2.1%, P = 0.032) occurred significantly more frequently in the SP group than in the MP group. The incidences of very preterm birth (13.6% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.017), extremely preterm birth (9.1% vs. 0.7%, P = 0.047), and small for gestational age (22.7% vs. 5.6%, P = 0.017) were also significantly higher in the SP group than in the MP group. Radiological screening of maternal periodontitis could be useful for predicting adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes as well as diagnosing SP in pregnant women.

Highlights

It is well known that periodontitis, diagnosed mainly by periodontal probing, is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes
This study aimed to assess whether the severity of maternal periodontitis classified by radiological screening in accordance with the 2017 consensus classification was related to adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes
Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and incidence of caesarean section were higher in the severe periodontitis (SP) group than in the moderate periodontitis (MP) group

Summary

Introduction

It is well known that periodontitis, diagnosed mainly by periodontal probing, is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Factors Age (year) Age ≥ 35 years Nulliparous Height (cm) Pre-pregnancy weight (kg) Pre-pregnancy body mass index (kg/m2) Weight gain during pregnancy (kg) Body mass index change during pregnancy (kg/m2) In-vitro fertilization Cesarean section Prior preterm birth Preterm labor Prelabor rupture of membrane > 18 h Chorioamnionitis Funisitis Pelvic inflammatory disease history Uterine leiomyoma Type 1 diabetes mellitus Gestational diabetes mellitus Chronic hypertension Preeclampsia Thyroid disease Chronic medical disease These considerations imply the necessity of a standardised, straightforward, and non-invasive periodontal screening tool that can direct high-risk patients who would require close periodontal monitoring to reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. There has been no previous study on the association between the severity of periodontitis diagnosed using this tool and adverse pregnancy/neonatal outcomes

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