Study on association of periodontitis and preeclampsia

AIMS & OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate the association between maternal periodontitis and preeclampsia. METHODOLOGY: Study Centre: Department of obstetrics and Gynaecology, MMC, Chennai. Study Design: Case control study Duration of Study: 8 MONTHS ( JAN 2017 –AUG 2017) Sample Size: 200 patients Inclusion Criteria: Women of age 18–35 years who gave birth to live infants in the hospital unit. Exclusion Criteria: 1. twins, 2. undergone in vitrofertilization, 3. suffering from any systemic diseases before pregnancy, or had placental, cervical, and/or uterine abnormalities, 4. human immunodeficiency virus infection, 5. antibiotic prophylaxis for dental treatment. PROCEDURE: Periodontal parameters [bleeding on probing, probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL)] of 200 women were assessed, followed by retrieval of their demographic and medical data from the medical records. The women were divided into control group (100 non preeclamptic women who gave birth to infants with adequate gestational age) and case group (100 preeclamptic women). Analysis were carried out to find the association between periodontitis and preeclampsia. Further analysis was carried out by matching the two groups for primiparity to find the significance of maternal periodontitis. Maternal periodontitis was defined as PD ≥4 mm and CAL ≥3 mm at the same site in at least four teeth. RESULTS: The results showed that maternal periodontitis was associated with preeclampsia. (P value < 0.001). Maternal periodontitis also remained associated with preeclampsia after matching for primiparity, which was another significant confounding factor in the study. There was no significant association between age ,parity and socioeconomic status to periodontitis. CONCLUSION: Maternal periodontitis is a risk factor associated with preeclampsia, emphasizing the importance of periodontal care in prenatal programs. The pathogenesis of periodontitis and preeclampsia is multifactorial and similar in many ways. So, periodontal treatment should be considered for reducing the risk of preeclampsia