Dental clinicians may be in a position to better support new mothers, according to researchers in Portugal who explored whether there is an association between perceived infant discomfort, particularly from gastrointestinal symptoms, and maternal oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Unsurprisingly, their findings suggest that infant crying and digestive issues, common stressors in early parenthood, affect maternal well-being, specifically affecting mothers’ oral health priorities and overall oral health, and physical, psychological and social well-being.
The researchers surveyed 421 participants, who were Portuguese-speaking mothers of full-term infants aged two to 12 weeks. The findings indicated that increased infant discomfort correlated with reduced prioritisation of professional dental care among mothers, particularly in cases where the mothers self-reported having poor periodontal health. Self-reported periodontitis was associated with deteriorated maternal OHRQoL. The results suggest that mothers of infants with greater perceived discomfort may experience compromised oral health, influenced by psychological stressors associated with infant discomfort.
These findings emphasise the value of integrating oral health into postpartum care and suggest that comprehensive health strategies should address both maternal and infant well-being to improve overall family health outcomes.
The study, titled ‘Perceived infant discomfort linked to lower maternal oral health quality of life: Results from a cross-sectional study’, was published in Journal of Clinical Medicine.
From: https://www.dental-tribune.com/news/infant-discomfort-may-have-a-connection-to-maternal-oral-health/
