Researchers from Case Western Reserve University say they have found bacteria usually associated with the mouth in the amniotic fluid of a woman in preterm labor. They report in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology about how they used DNA finger-printing techniques to confirm the presence of the bacteria in the 37 year old mother. It was shown in a past study that oral bacteria could cause premature birth in mice, but this is the first study to find a link in humans. The bacteria - Bergeyella - that was found in the amniotic fluid is one of 700 bacteria found in the mouth. Previously, it was virtually impossible to study Bergeyella, but new techniques like PCR (polymerase chain reaction) now enable researchers to track the DNA of the bacteria. Researcher Yiping Han believes that the infection rate among pregnant women may be greater than was previously supposed.
This study hypothesizes that oral bacteria, once in the blood, can cause a host of health problems, including preterm labor. It's suspected that infection can occur in pregnant mothers when the oral bacteria enter the blood through bleeding gums.
But puzzlingly, the mother who exhibited the presence of Bergeyella regularly visited the dentist and showed no signs of periodontal disease, the condition suspected of facilitating the bacteria's entry into the bloodstream. "If periodontal disease is not present, then this raises more questions about how the bacteria got into the amniotic fluid," said Han. So Han plans more research to hopefully clarify exactly how the bacteria could make its way to the amniotic sac.
Source: Case Western Reserve University
