Nearly one out of two women with gestational diabetes also have periodontal disease, according to a study released last month by Tulane University researchers. In contrast, just over one in ten pregnant women without gestational diabetes have periodontal disease. The study, available in the October issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, claims to be the first to demonstrate a link between poor oral health and diabetes during pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes is an inability to process dietary sugars normally during pregnancy and puts women and their babies at increased risk of injury and illness. The team of researchers analysed health data from 256 pregnant women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study III. Based on their analysis, Tulane obstetrician Gabriella Pridjian, Tulane epidemiologists Xiong Xu and Pierre Buekens and Louisiana State University dental health researcher Sotirios Vastardis recommend that dental care during pregnancy should be considered as a way to help prevent gestational diabetes.