Periodontitis and Preterm Low Birth Weight: Is there any Association?

Trapezanlidis Michaela, Str

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to indicate possible etiopathogenetic associations between destructive periodontitis in pregnant women and preterm low birth-weight deliveries. Strong pro-inflammatory potential of chronic periodontitis may attack the whole organism of the future mothers. The destructive inflammatory character of various forms of periodontitis with its bacterial, cytokinal and proteolytic expressions can raise the pro-inflammatory and proteolytic status in the fetoplacental unit and cause premature rupture of chorioplacental membranes. In our study, there are presented possible associations of both states manifested through bacterial, mediatory, genetic, proteolytic and oxidative mechanisms. The majority of other papers report associations of individual ethiopathogenetic mechanisms, by means of which chronic destructive inflammation of periodontium negatively afflicts the feto-placental structures. In spite of wide research in this field, causal associations have not yet been unanimously proven.\r\n