Numerous studies have shown a link between dental diseases and the increase in the number of premature births. To prevent the baby from being born too soon, American researchers have suggested that pregnant women chew xylitol-based gum in early pregnancy to improve their oral health.
- Chewing xylitol-based gum at the start of pregnancy would improve the oral health of pregnant women and reduce the risk of premature birth.
- Xylitol is a natural alcohol found in fruits and vegetables and widely used as a sugar substitute in chewing gum.
We speak of a premature birth when the child is born before 8 and a half months of pregnancy, namely 37 weeks of amenorrhea. In this case, the baby’s organs are not all ready to face extra-uterine life. Thus, he runs a greater risk of suffering from health problems. But how to reduce the risks of giving birth prematurely? Chewing sugar-free gum could prevent prematurity, says a study from Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine presented in early February by scientists at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM).
A 10-year multicenter study
The researchers arrived at this discovery after making an observation. They realized that over the past few decades, several studies have confirmed that dental conditions, such as periodontal disease, are associated with a high risk of preterm birth. The team decided to study the different ways to improve oral health during pregnancy.
For the purposes of the work, the authors recruited 10,069 women living in Malawi, Africa, and followed them for 10 years. They chose to conduct their study in this country because it has the highest number of premature births in the world. Volunteers from eight health centers in Malawi registered before they became pregnant and within the first 20 weeks of their pregnancy. They were divided into two groups.
All the women received advice on taking care of their teeth. The researchers asked just 4,549 participants to chew xylitol-based gum for 10 minutes once or twice a day throughout gestation. As a reminder, xylitol is a natural alcohol found in fruits and vegetables and widely used as a sugar substitute in chewing gum. It can reduce dental plaque, reduce the risk of cavities and promote healthy gums.
A decrease in premature births
“Use of xylitol chewing gum before and during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy reduced preterm births, especially late preterm births between 34 and 37 weeks”said Kjersti Aagaard, lead author of the study in a statement. “We also showed a significant improvement in babies’ birth weights, with a third fewer low birth weight babies,” he added.
“What’s unique about our study is that we used an available, inexpensive, and palatable way to reduce the risk of a baby being born too early or too small,” said the researcher. Scientists now want to conduct research in other countries.
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