Both low birth weight and preterm birth pose serious health risks for infants, including being born with or developing a severe disability, having oral health problems, and experiencing infant mortality. Although the global prevalence of low birth weight declined from 2000 through 2020, prevalence in the United States and Canada increased during the same period. Likewise, preterm birth rates in the United States also experienced an uptick from 2020 through 2021.

This article utilizes PRAMS data to assess whether pregnant women who receive preventive oral health care services or visit a dentist/dental clinic for oral health problems during pregnancy are less likely to experience preterm births or have babies with low birth weight than those who do not receive oral health care services.

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