Oral infection causes stillbirth
Doctors believe that an oral infection may have caused a woman to give birth to a stillborn baby.
According to a study, untreated gum disease may have contributed to a Calfornia woman giving birth to a still born child.
Dr Yiping Han said that Fusobacterium nucleatum, an oral bacteria, could have infected the foetus via the woman’s bloodstream.
Reports suggest that once this type of bacteria is in the blood stream it can go to every part of the blood stream.
Dr Han said that the placenta was an immune-suppressed organ which means that it is at a higher risk of contracting infections.
Upon examination doctors tragically discovered that the same bacteria was found in the woman’s mouth as in the baby’s lungs and stomach.
The study found that 75 per cent of pregnant women experience bleeding gums because of hormonal changes.
Doctors are now urging women to get regular dental check-ups during pregnancy.
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