Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice Behaviour of Midwives Concerning Periodontal Health of Pregnant Patients

Interprofessional survey on knowledge and attitudes of midwives regarding oral health, in France

INTRODUCTION

Oral health is essential for psychosocial well-being and general health. For expectant mothers, pregnancy increases the risk of oral diseases and has a subsequent impact on the oral health of a child once born. Midwives are in charge of pregnancy monitoring, childbirth and newborns' first days of life. They could have an important role in prevention. However, limited studies evaluating the knowledge, attitudes and practices on oral health among midwives have been conducted in Europe.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire. Two local midwifery associations sent out the questionnaire by email and social media networks to all registered midwives and practicing in the department of Herault (n=613), between April and May 2022. Statistical analyses on quantitative data and descriptive analyses of qualitative free-text responses were performed.

RESULTS

In total, 167 midwives were included. We found a lack of knowledge on many oral health topics and this was stated as the main reason that only 29% of midwives provided oral health information to their patients. Only 30% of the midwives had a training module on oral health during their initial training, and less than half of them considered the training adequate. To improve their lack of knowledge, participants expressed a preference for digital communication methods for themselves; however, they favored in-person interaction for public interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed a lack of training and knowledge about oral health among midwives and a lack of oral health discussion with expectant mothers who are a high-risk population for oral diseases.

Oral healthcare attendance and the effectiveness of referrals for rural antenatal women

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the effectiveness of targeted stakeholder engagement strategies and the impact they have on antenatal referrals, oral health admission, attendance and education of pregnant women in a rural public dental clinic.

METHOD

Key stakeholders (obstetric trained general practitioners [GPs] and midwives) were educated and motivated to refer pregnant women to the rural public dental clinic via priority referral pathways. A 10-month pre- and post-intervention period of oral health assessments and treatments was compared and contrasted.

DESIGN

Quasi-experimental study.

SETTING

A rural health service in the Loddon Mallee region, Victoria.

PARTICIPANTS

Local pregnant women, 18 years of age or older, eligible for public dental care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Increased oral health admission, attendance and education of pregnant women.

RESULTS

Active engagement with key stakeholders significantly increased the oral health referral, admission and attendance of eligible antenatal women. Prior to the intervention, only 15.04% of eligible antenatal women sought oral health treatment, in comparison with 40.37% post-intervention. Of the 62 women referred, 44 actively received dental care.

CONCLUSION

Active engagement with key stakeholders has demonstrated a clinically effective method of increasing antenatal referrals of socially disadvantaged women to a rural public dental clinic. Further collaboration between healthcare professionals can improve the oral health admission rates, attendance and education of antenatal women and their children.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of prenatal care practitioners regarding oral health in pregnancy-A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Hormonal and behavioral changes during pregnancy may impact the oral health of women, which can influence the pregnancy course. Prenatal care practitioners (PCP) must be aware of this bidirectional relation in order to include an oral assessment in routine prenatal care.

OBJECTIVES

To characterize the knowledge and attitudes of PCP regarding oral health in pregnant women.

SEARCH STRATEGY

The search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, Lilacs, Scopus, and Embase on May 2022.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Peer-reviewed cross-sectional studies published in English within the last 5 years that assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of PCP towards oral health in pregnancy were selected.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Data were standardly extracted by the three reviewers from the selected articles and their bias was assessed.

MAIN RESULTS

From a total of 996 articles, 24 were selected. Overall, most PCP have an adequate level of knowledge regarding the importance of oral health during pregnancy. Although several professionals reported referring their patients to a dentist, the attitudes and practices of the majority of PCP were still inadequate.

CONCLUSIONS

PCP are aware of the importance of oral health during pregnancy but still lack translating this knowledge into clinical practice.

Periodontal Diseases and Pregnancy: Knowledge and Clinical Practice Habits of French Midwives

PURPOSE

Several studies have demonstrated the role of periodontal disease as risk factor of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, low birthweight and pre-eclampsia. As such, midwives can play an essential role in prevention and early screening as the preferred intermediary of pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, training and daily practice habits of midwives to determine if they fulfill their role in oral health prevention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A questionnaire was sent by e-mail to practicing midwives and fifth-year midwifery students in the Brittany region of France. Data were collected online and descriptive data analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 192 practicing midwives and 13 students participated in the survey. The results showed that the majority of midwives were not familiar with the correlation between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes and did not implement screening and prevention to a sufficient extent.

CONCLUSION

The explanation for this lack of knowledge seems to come from the initial training, since the topic of oral health is almost never discussed during midwives' studies. Most agreed they needed more training on periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Improving and integrating oral health education into the midwife academic curriculum can enhance midwives' engagement in oral health.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Spanish Midwives and Midwifery Students toward Oral Healthcare during Pregnancy

Pregnancy can affect the mother's oral health, increasing their susceptibility to oral diseases that have been associated with harmful effects on the newborn. Despite the severity of oral diseases during pregnancy, the demand for dental care during the gestational period is low, which may improve with the participation of midwives in promoting oral health activities. The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Spanish midwives and midwifery students regarding oral health in pregnant women; and (ii) to identify the barriers faced by these healthcare professionals in addressing oral health promotion during pregnancy. An observational cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. A total of 128 midwives and/or midwifery students ≥ 18 years old and of both sexes were invited to self-complete a questionnaire between January and April 2020. A total of 85 people participated in the study. Participants had a regular level of knowledge about oral health during pregnancy (overall knowledge score: 6.53), and although they were interested in activities that promote oral healthcare, their oral healthcare practices during pregnancy were limited. As midwives play an important role in promoting health, their training in oral healthcare could help to improve pregnant women's oral health.