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PO Box 3253
Glens Falls, NY 12801
(518) 761-0300
Oral Health and a Healthy Baby
The relationship between preterm and/or low-birth weight babies and periodontal disease is a problem that pregnant women need to be aware of.
In 2002, the premature birth rate in New York State was 11.4 percent according to the March of Dimes. Babies that are premature or low-birth weight are at a higher risk of dying in their first month.
A preterm birth is one that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy, while a low-birth weight baby is defined as one that is born weighing less than 5.5 pounds.
A study by Dr. Steven Offenbacher, a dental researcher at the University of North Carolina, suggests that periodontal disease and low birth weight babies are related. A patient with periodontal disease is seven times more likely to bear a low birth weight infant. (The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice, Volume 1, No. 1, Fall Issue, 1999.)
Data compiled by the March of Dimes reveals that in an average week in New York state, 550 babies are born preterm; 95 that are very preterm (32 weeks or fewer); 381 that are born low birth weight and 74 born very low birth weight (less than 3.5 pounds).
The mission of the March of Dimes is to prevent birth defects and reduce infant mortality. For more information on the March of Dimes, please visit their website at: www.modimes.org.
If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, please remember to talk to your dentist.
