If you are pregnant, considering becoming pregnant in the future, or know someone that fits into either category, please read this carefully.

Researcher Yiping Han, from the department of periodontology at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine has reported the first documented case of stillbirth caused by oral bacteria. The 35 year old mother suffered from pregnancy gingivitis and at full term she delivered her stillborn baby.

At autopsy F. nucleatum, an oral bacteria, was found in the lungs and stomach of the infant. The baby had died from a septic infection and inflammation caused by bacteria. The mother told Han that she suffered from excessive gum bleeding, known as pregnancy induced gingivitis, during her pregnancy. When the gums bleed, bacteria in the mouth is able to get into he blood stream. Normally a mother’s immune system takes care of the bacteria in the blood before it reaches the placenta. In this case however, the mother also experienced an upper respiratory infection like a cold and low-grade fever just a few days before the stillbirth. Han suspects that the bacteria entered the amniotic fluid, where the baby was able to ingest the bacteria.

How can this be prevented? Simply stated with regular dental care during Surprisingly some still feel that dental care during pregnancy will harm an unborn baby but expectant mothers should have the health of their teeth and gums examined and monitored during their pregnancy. Gum disease has also been linked to low birth weight, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Making sure that you are free from gum disease before you become pregnant, and during your pregnancy, should be a priority for woman considering having a baby. If you have questions or concerns about how your gum disease could be affecting the health of your baby, please ask us. If you experience excessive bleeding of the gums during your pregnancy, please see us ASAP.