Brushing teeth ‘can help reduce pregnancy complications’

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Washington, Mar 31 (ANI): Expecting mothers could reduce the risk of
complications in their pregnancies and new-born babies by paying
closer attention to oral hygiene, scientist have suggested.

Bacteria from a mother’s mouth can be transmitted through the blood
and amniotic fluid in the womb to her unborn child.

This could contribute to the risk of a premature delivery, a low birth-
weight baby, premature onset of contractions, or infection of the
newborn child.

Ms Cecilia Gonzales-Marin and colleagues from Queen Mary University of
London, tested the gastric aspirates (stomach contents containing
swallowed amniotic fluid) of 57 newborn babies and found 46 different
species of bacteria in the samples.

The most prevalent bacteria in the samples may have come from the
vagina; however, two of the species were recognised as coming from the
mouth and are not normally found elsewhere in the body.

These particular bacteria, Granulicatella elegans and Streptococcus
sinensis, are known to be able to enter the bloodstream and have
previously been associated with infections remote from the mouth such
as infective endocarditis.

“Our studies show that sampling the stomach contents of newborn babies
by using gastric aspirates can provide a reliable method of microbial
identification. Hospitals routinely take these samples as part of the
care of the babies born from a complicated pregnancy and/or at risk of
serious infection. They provide a more accessible alternative to
amniotic fluid,” said Ms Gonzales-Marin,

“Our research group is using DNA techniques to confirm if bacteria
from the newborn matches the bacteria in the respective mother’s
mouth,” Gonzales-Marin added.

The study has been presented at the Society for General Microbiology
meeting in Harrogate. (ANI)