The association between periodontal disease and risk of adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of analytical observational studies

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of this meta‐analysis was to find the association between periodontal disease (PD) and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including Pre‐eclampsia (PE), premature rupture of the amniotic sac, gestational diabetes (GDM), or low birth weight (LBW) in pregnant women, which should be investigated in a systematic meta‐analysis. METHODS: Studies that reported the association between PD and pregnancy or neonatal outcomes and were published from January 1990 to December 2022, were identified by an extensive search in PubMed (Medline), Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Medline (Elsevier). After retrieving the studies, the screening stage was performed based on their titles, abstracts, and full texts, and after selecting the final articles, their information was extracted and their quality was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale checklist. RESULTS: Pregnant women with PD had a 1.39 higher chance of developing GDM than those who did not have the infection (risk ratio [RR]: 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21−1.61; I square: 49.67%; p: 0.03). Additionally, the pooled RR of LBW was 2.19, which indicates that pregnant women with PD had a 2.19‐fold higher risk of LBW than pregnant women who do not have the infection (RR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.82−2.64; I square: 0.00%; p: 0.65). The relationship between the risk of PE and the existence of PD was examined in 33 cohort and case‐control studies for this meta‐analysis. These results were combined, and the pooled RR was 1.43. This indicates that pregnant women with PD are 1.43 times more likely to experience PE than pregnant women without PD (RR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.32−1.54; I square: 82.64%; p: 0.00). CONCLUSION: According to the findings of the current meta‐analysis, PD may contribute to a higher risk of poor maternal and newborn outcomes in pregnant women.