Chewing Gum and Pregnancy

Summary

Researchers from Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine found that chewing sugarless gum during pregnancy may reduce the risk of premature birth and improve oral health.

Abstract

A study conducted by researchers at Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, involving over 10,000 pregnant women in Malawi, has shown that chewing sugarless gum could potentially decrease the chances of premature birth. The study divided the participants into two groups: one received dental advice, while the other received dental advice and sugarless gum to chew twice daily. The results indicated a 4% lower preterm birth rate in the gum-chewing group, suggesting that the act of chewing gum, along with the use of xylitol as a sweetener, may contribute to better oral health by reducing bacteria that could affect the placenta. The study also highlighted the importance of oral health as a factor in overall health, particularly during pregnancy.

Opinions

The study reinforces the idea that oral health is crucial to overall health, supporting the notion that the mouth acts as a gateway to health.
Chewing sugarless gum is posited to create a protective barrier against bacteria entering the bloodstream and potentially reaching the placenta.
Xylitol, the sweetener in the gum, is believed to lower levels of harmful oral bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans.
The study suggests that simple interventions like chewing gum could have significant health benefits for pregnant women and their unborn children.
Further research is deemed necessary to confirm if these findings are applicable to pregnant women in high-income countries.
The article encourages readers to consider chewing sugarless gum as a potentially beneficial habit, even enjoying it as a nostalgic activity.

The Study

The researchers looked at more than 10,000 pregnant women in Malawi, which was chosen because it has the highest rate of premature births in the world. All of the women, who were either before or at their 20th week of pregnancy, were given access to dental checkups. Half of the women were given advice on proper dental care. The other half were given the same advice and also a supply of sugarless gum. They were instructed to chew the gum for 10 minutes in the morning and again for 10 minutes in the evening. All of the women were offered dental checks four weeks after they delivered their baby.

The Results

The results showed that the preterm birth rate was 13% for the gum chewers, but it was 17% for those that didn’t chew gum. In other words, for every 26 women who were given both dental advice and gum to chew, one preterm birth was prevented.

The dental checks at the end of the study showed that the women who used the gum had benefits to their oral health. They had fewer incidents of receding and bleeding gums compared to the women who did not chew the gum. The theory is that intact gums create a barrier that prevents bacteria from entering the bloodstream and reaching the placenta. In addition, there is evidence that xylitol, the sweetener used in gum, reduces levels of the harmful bacteria Streptococcus mutans that lives in the mouth.

Conclusion

In order to determine if these results translate to all pregnant women and their unborn babies, studies will need to be done in high-income countries. So, while the scientists toil along doing their studies, why not pick up some sugarless gum and chew away. Maybe even enjoy blowing a few bubbles like when you were a kid while on your way to see your dentist for a checkup.

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Chewing Gum and Pregnancy

Sugarless Gum May Decrease the Chances of Premature Birth

The Study

The Results

Conclusion

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