Periodontal Disease and Small Vulnerable Newborns in Rural Nepal: A Community-based Trial

Periodontal disease in pregnant women has been implicated as a potential risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes, including being born preterm, small-for-gestational age, and/or low birth weight. Infants who have at least one of these outcomes, known as small vulnerable newborns (SVN)), are at increased risk of early death and poor infant growth and development. Rigorous, high-quality randomized trials are needed to evaluate whether improving the periodontal health of pregnant women can reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in areas like South Asia, where these outcomes are common and neonatal mortality remains high. This study is a community-based, randomized controlled trial (n=2,280) to evaluate a package of oral health interventions delivered to pregnant women in the first trimester until delivery on the incidence of SVNs in rural Sarlahi District, Nepal. The intervention package will include a daily antiseptic oral rinse and intensive oral hygiene education and instruction. Both intervention and control groups will be provided a manual toothbrush and toothpaste. The investigators will determine intervention effects on incidence of SVNs and individual outcomes of preterm birth, small-for-gestational age, and low birth weight. In a biospecimen sub-study (n=200), the investigators will collect venous blood, gingival crevicular fluid, and plaque in early and late pregnancy to explore relationships between subgingival inflammation, systemic inflammation, and SVN types and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. If efficacious, a low-cost package of oral health interventions - including an antiseptic oral rinse, intensive oral hygiene education and instruction, and provision of a manual toothbrush and toothpaste - could improve maternal and newborn outcomes at this critical time of growth and development.