Preterm births or babies that are born before the completion of a normal length of pregnancy are due to many factors. Only now have researchers discovered a link between preemies and oral bacteria. The associations are being investigated for a possible connection between the two by scientists from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in collaboration with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from the MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. The Journal of Clinical Microbiology has reported their study, entitled “Transmission of an Uncultivated Bergeyella Strain from the Oral Cavity to the Amniotic Fluid in a Case of Preterm Birth”.
The research came about as they found the link between preterm births and the oral bacteria in the amniotic fluid through a binocular compound microscope as they studied 34 women who were undergoing amniocentesis at MetroHealth Medical Center. Although only 1 in 6 of the women studied was reported to give birth to a preemie, the significance of this as compared to the general population is quite high. Other infections, not only the Bergeyella Strain can cause infections in pregnant women, therefore the risk for preterm births may actually increase. These infections can be contracted vaginally, as well as through the mouth of pregnant mothers, as the bacteria can enter the bloodstream as gums bleed. When the researchers studied a sample of the women’s amniotic fluid under a binocular compound microscope, the presence of the Bergeyella Strain, a bacteria that is normally found in the mouth, was found.
It is important for scientists to determine what infections plague pregnant women to avoid premature births from occurring. The costs of having a premature baby are high, and together with the mother’s hospitalization costs and the costs of other laboratory tests and procedures, the overall medical costs are quite expensive.
This is why prenatal examinations are very important. It can help identify an infection and safe treatment can be started immediately to prevent the infection from worsening and possibly affecting the baby. Infections are detected through the blood cell count. Blood is taken from the mother and examined under a binocular compound microscope to determine if white blood cells are elevated above the normal range. Once an infection is confirmed, more tests, like an amniocentesis can be performed.
But in some cases, as explained by the researchers, the mothers regularly visited the dentist and showed no signs of periodontal disease, which is how the bacteria usually gets into the bloodstream. Further studies are being carried out to determine the other possible ways that the oral bacteria can get to the amniotic fluid. The Bergeyella is one of many bacteria that cannot be grown in culture, and until recent techniques came about, could not be studies as well. With the advent of PCR or polymerase chain reaction and high tech microscopes, the DNA of the bacteria can be tracked. The researchers are continuing to examine the link of the oral bacteria, as well as other bacteria, in relation to premature births.