Impact of Maternal Periodontitis on Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight in Babies: Results of a Scoping Review

Background Periodontitis has been documented as public health concern but its association with preterm and low birth weight remains uncertain, thus the objective of this scoping review is to summarize the most recent published evidence related to the impact of periodontitis on preterm birth and low birth weight in order to improve public awareness and to inform policies for oral health during pregnancy. Methods Hinari, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched to acquire the published literature. The retrieved studies included cross-sectional, case control studies and randomized controlled trials with available full text published in English from 2008 to 2019. Results After combining the key words, 333 articles were identified with only 133 eligible articles published from 2008 to 2019. After reviewing the available 50 full text articles, duplicates were removed and 15 studies fully met the inclusion criteria. There were 13 articles that supported the association between maternal periodontitis and preterm low birth weight while 2 found no evidence to support the association. Conclusion The results of this scoping review contribute to an increasing body of evidence to support the hypothesis that maternal periodontal disease may be a risk factor for preterm delivery and low birth weight. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2020;3(3):372-38

Prevalence of Dental Caries, its Associated Risk Factors and Treatment Needs among School Aged Children at Kimironko II Primary School, Kigali, Rwanda

BackgroundDental caries is still a health problem worldwide, its prevalence and incidence are associated with various factors like age, sex, social status, dietary patterns and oral hygiene habits.MethodologyA Secondary data collected from outreaches done by UR CMHS, School of Dentistry at Kimironko II Primary School was analyzed. This secondary data had been obtained using structured questionnaires with close ended questions. Clinical examination had also been done to gather information. SPSS statistical software package version 22 was used to analyse data from Community outreach done at Kimironko Primary School in August 2019.ResultsThe prevalence of dental caries of 42.4% was found among children aged 6-12 years old of Kimironko II Primary School. The researchers found the following to be statistically significantly associated with prevalence of dental caries: gender (p=0.042), dental visits (p=0.001), and use of chew sticks or miswaks (p=0.041). Females were 1.4 times more likely to develop dental caries (OR: 1.462; 95% CI: 1.16-2.017; p=0.021) and children who did not use toothpick were 2 times more likely to develop dental caries (OR: 2.149; 95%CI: 1.251-4.395; p=0.036), whereas visiting a dental practitioner was protective against dental caries (OR: 0.362, 95% CI: 0.251-0.516; p=0.001).ConclusionDental caries is prevalent among children of Kimironko II Primary School. Appropriate preventive measures should be taken to protect those found to be exposed.Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(3):341-34