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| POSTED 12/19/2005 |
Don’t Neglect Your Teeth |
A visit to the dentist should be an important part of prenatal care, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Chile in Santiago and published in the Journal of Periodontology.
The researchers studied 870 women with gingivitis (gum disease) who were at very low risk for delivery problems. They found that the women whose inflamed gums were treated before 28 weeks of pregnancy experienced significantly lower rates of premature births and low-birth weight infants than those with untreated gingivitis.
This study continues the exploration of the relationship between delivery problems and infections in other parts of the body. Researchers believe that blood may carry bacteria from the infection site to the placenta, where it produces the inflammatory effect that brings on premature labor.
Date Posted: December 19, 2005 |
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