Healthy Gums Equal Healthy Babies

(Ivanhoe Newswire) ? One step to a healthier newborn might be a new toothbrush and some better dental hygiene. The reason: gum disease is linked to a higher risk for gestational diabetes.

Dental researchers from New York worked with colleagues in Sri Lanka to arrive at those conclusions in a study involving 190 pregnant women on the South Asian island nation. Sri Lankan women were selected for the study in part because women in their culture generally don't smoke or drink alcohol, two factors that can also up the risk for pregnancy-related problems.

The researchers found more than a third of the women were experiencing bleeding gums, one of the main symptoms of periodontal disease. These women were significantly more likely to also have the highest levels of blood sugar, a key factor in diabetes, than women whose gums were normal.

"In addition to its potential role in preterm delivery, evidence that gum disease may also contribute to gestational diabetes suggests that women should see a dentist if they plan to get pregnant, and after becoming pregnant," study author Dr. Ananda P. Dasanayake, from New York University College of Dentistry, was quoted as saying. "Treating gum disease during pregnancy has been shown to be safe and effective in improving women's oral health and minimizing potential risks."

The current findings confirm those from an earlier study by the New York researchers that found a higher risk of gestational diabetes in U.S. women with gum disease. Most of the women in that study were Hispanic. Statistics suggest Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians are at highest risk for gestational diabetes. While the condition usually resolves after the birth of the baby, women who have had it are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes as they get older.

SOURCE: Journal of Dental Research, published April 4, 2009

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