daniel chigunweJOHANNESBURG. — Xylitol, a sugar substitute normally used in gum and which is prescribed for dental hygiene purposes, can also reduce chances of pre-term births, a study that was conducted in Malawi has revealed.
A paper recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, titled “Cluster randomised trial of xylitol chewing gum on prevention of pre-term birth in Malawi”, indicates that out of 4 349 pregnant women who chewed xylitol gum, 549 had pre-term babies, translating to a 12.6 percent pre-term rate.
In another group of women who didn’t chew the gum, 878 out of 5 321 pregnancies, or 16.5 percent, of the babies were born before 37 weeks. In comparison, the first sample recorded a 24% reduction in pre-term births.
The research was presented at the virtual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s Annual Pregnancy Meeting on 3 February.
The study concluded: In a cluster-randomised trial in Malawi, periconception initiation and use of xylitol chewing gum resulted in a reduced incidence of PTB (pre-term birth) and < 2500g (increased number of ) newborns, predominately due to significantly fewer late PTBs and in association with less periodontitis. To prevent a case of PTB, 26 patients would need to chew, daily, xylitol gum.”
Speaking at the virtual summit, Kim Boggess, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, who was not part of the research, said the results were positive but that more research was needed to see if it was possible in other parts of the world.
“The findings are very encouraging . . . it would take more research to see if this could work in other settings,” she said.
Malawi was chosen because, in Lilongwe, statistics indicated that there was a 19.3% pre-term birth rate, one of the highest in the world. – News24.com
Online Reporter