The association between maternal oral health experiences and risk of preterm birth in 10 states, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2004-2006

The aim of this study is to investigate the association between oral health experiences of women in the peripartum period and the risk of preterm delivery (<37 weeks). We analyzed 2004-2006 data from the CDC Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), a population-based surveillance system that collects data on pregnancy and postpartum experiences of mothers who have recently delivered a live infant. Ten states included in the analysis had a ≥70% weighted response rate and three standard questions pertaining to oral health. White non-Hispanic (WNH), Black non-Hispanic (BNH), and Hispanic women were selected for analysis. Chi-squared analysis was performed for our bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were created to calculate adjusted odds ratios, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and peripartum morbidities. Weighted percentages and standard errors were used for all analyses. Among the 35,267 women studied, in the multivariate analysis, mothers who did not receive dental care during pregnancy and did not have a teeth cleaning during pregnancy were at higher risk for delivering a preterm infant (OR 1.15, CI 1.02-1.30; OR 1.23, CI 1.08-1.41). In this population-based study, women who did not receive dental care or have a teeth cleaning during pregnancy were at slightly higher risk for preterm delivery after adjustment for pertinent confounders.