A recent study published in BMJ Mental Health has found that the oral microbiome of pregnant women is influenced by their experiences of life stress and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This research marks a significant advancement in understanding the relationship between maternal mental health and oral health during pregnancy.
While previous studies have established connections between gastrointestinal microbiome diversity and mental health issues in pregnant women and new mothers, this study is the first to explore how stress and mental health affect the microbial composition in the mouth and throat.
The study analyzed saliva samples from 224 pregnant women participating in the Michigan Prenatal Stress Study, who were assessed for recent stressors and mental health symptoms during their second trimester. The findings revealed notable differences in the oral microbiomes of women based on their reported levels of stress and mental health symptoms.
Women exhibiting high levels of anxiety or depression displayed increased alpha diversity in their oral microbiomes, indicating a wider variety of microbial species present in relatively equal proportions. In contrast, women with significant PTSD symptoms showed high beta diversity, suggesting that the specific microbial species in their saliva differed markedly from those in women with lower PTSD symptoms.
Further analysis identified specific microbial associations linked to stress and mental health. Women experiencing recent life stress had a higher abundance of species from the phylum Proteobacteria, while Spirochaetes were more prevalent in those with elevated depression symptoms. Additionally, increased levels of Dialister species and Firmicutes were observed in women with anxiety and depression, and Eikenella species were more common among those with high anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
Researchers examined 22 potential covariates to determine their impact on the oral microbiome. They found that cigarette smoking accounted for 7.2% of the variance, dental problems explained 3.1%, intimate partner violence contributed 4.1%, and unplanned pregnancies accounted for 2%.
The authors acknowledge several limitations in the study, including a lack of data on dietary factors and body weight, as well as focusing on a single point in pregnancy. Self-reported measures of anxiety and depression may also have affected the accuracy of the findings, and the study did not investigate potential microbial sources, such as the lower gut or long-term oral health.
Conclusion
The authors conclude that their findings indicate a significant association between various aspects of the oral microbiome during pregnancy and women’s life stress and mental health. They emphasize that these associations differ from those observed in studies of the gut microbiome and among non-pregnant individuals.
Importantly, the researchers suggest that the oral microbiome could serve as a potential target for interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being during pregnancy. They propose that successful strategies for enhancing gut microbiome health through probiotics could be adapted to focus on oral microbiome health via dietary changes, oral health recommendations, and probiotic treatments, particularly for mothers facing high levels of stress and mental health challenges.
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