and interleukins (i.e., IL-6, IL-8), all of which can affect pregnancy.14 Elevated levels of these inflammatory markers have been found in the amniotic fluid of women with periodontitis and preterm birth compared with healthy control patients.15 In one study, researchers found minimal oral bacteria in the amniotic fluid and placenta of women with preterm labor and periodontitis.16 It seems probable that this inflammatory cascade alone prematurely initiates labor. The mechanism is thought to be similar for low birth weight; the release of PGE2