(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Could better dental hygiene lead to healthier babies?
Investigators who looked at bacteria in the stomach contents of newborns suggest
that might be the case. Their research found two species of bacteria in the
gastric aspirates (defined as stomach contents containing amniotic fluid
swallowed by the baby during delivery) commonly found in people’s mouths. These
bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause serious health problems, including
endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves.
“Our studies show that sampling the stomach contents of newborn babies by using
gastric aspirates can provide a reliable method of microbial identification,”
study author Cecilia Gonzales-Marin, from Queen Mary University of London, was
quoted as saying. Now she and her fellow investigators plan to see whether the
mouth bacteria found in newborns matches the mouth bacteria in their mothers.
If that’s the case, then moms-to-be might want to brush up on their tooth
brushing to ensure a healthy future for their offspring.
SOURCE: Presented at the Society for General Microbiology meeting March 30, 2009
