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NCT Number: NCT03148483

Calcium-vitamin D & Periodontal Therapy for Improving Metabolic and Inflammatory Profile Among Pregnant Women

The improvement of maternal and child health remains a key issue in global health. Production and improved accessibility of healthy and nutrient-rich milk-based products could potentially tackle health and nutrition inequalities in low-income countries.

This study will assess the acceptability of a multi-component intervention, including provision of calcium/vitamin-D fortified milk and periodontal therapy (PT), for improving maternal periodontal health and metabolic and inflammatory profiles. The IMPROVE trial is a feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) with parallel qualitative process evaluation. The target population is low-income, pregnant, Brazilian women, with periodontitis, who have not seen a dentist in the last 6 months. A series of focus group discussions and interviews with the target population will be conducted to identify key barriers and enablers to adoption and implementation of the intervention in prenatal clinics in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil. Participants will be allocated to 4 groups: 1) early PT (during pregnancy) plus fortified milk; 2) early PT plus plain milk; 3) delayed PT (after delivery) plus fortified milk; 4) delayed PT plus plain milk.

The final results will contribute to the understanding of the significance of calcium and vitamin D for short and long-term health and the occurrence of diseases, as well as to inform the current global debate on vitamin-D supplementation and fortification policy.

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Key information

Conditions

Periodontitis Inflammation Mouth Diseases Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Periodontal Diseases Stomatognathic Diseases

Age range

18 year–49 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Centro Municipal de Saúde de Duque de Caxias & Policlínica Hospital Duque de Caxias

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged ≥ 18 year;
  • Up to 16 weeks' gestation;
  • Having ≥ 20 teeth;
  • Diagnosis of periodontitis (≥ 1 tooth with at least one of periodontal sites with ≥ 4 mm of clinical attachment loss and bleeding on probing on the same site);
  • Not received regular dental treatment in the last 6 months (except from those who only visited the dentist for an emergency appointment e.g. tooth extraction);
  • Cognitively and physically able to complete an interview and oral examination; and
  • Willing to participate (including provision of blood samples)

Exclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, psychosis, diabetes before pregnancy, thyroid disease, or disorders causing vitamin D hypersensitivity (e.g. sarcoidosis and other lymphomatous disorders);
  • Diagnosis of lactose intolerance or milk allergy;
  • History of renal stones or family history of renal stone and hyperparathyroidism;
  • presence of extensive dental cavity and decay;
  • Use of antibiotics or any immune-suppressants or medication known to affect vitamin D/calcium metabolism; and
  • Consumption of ≥4 servings/day of dairy products or taking vitamin D supplements at > 400 IU/day.

Treatment and study plan

Early PT

Other

Women will receive conventional non-surgical periodontal therapy (PT), consisting of prophylactic dental polishing to remove the sticky bacterial film that forms on the teeth over time, scaling and root planing, as necessary throughout pregnancy, up to delivery

Other names: Early non-surgical periodontal therapy

Delayed PT

Other

Women will receive conventional non-surgical PT delayed until after delivery.

Other names: Delayed non-surgical periodontal therapy

Fortified Milk

Dietary Supplement

participants will be advised to take two servings of a powdered milk-based drink enriched with calcium and vitamin D daily during breakfast and afternoon snack or supper to avoid concomitant intake of the prenatal iron supplements routinely prescribed for consumption with hot main meals (e.g. lunch or dinner). Women will be advised to consume 20 g of commercially available semi-skimmed milk powder (provided by the study) and one sachet with 500 IU of vitamin D3 and 1,2 g of a calcium supplement from milk extract (300 mg of calcium) twice a day.

Plain Milk

Dietary Supplement

Women will be advised to consume 20 g of commercially available semi-skimmed milk powder (provided by the study) and one sachet with flour (placebo).

Other names: non-fortified milk (placebo)

Primary outcomes

  1. Feasibility (acceptability of study design, recruitment strategy, random allocation and data collection procedures)

    Time frame: From baseline till 6-8 weeks' postpartum

    Feasibility will be evaluated using mixed-methods to explore intervention delivery, participants' acceptability, challenges and issues faced during the study, and recommended changes to the study design.

    Focus groups discussions will be held prior to trial recruitment to discuss issues regarding recruitment strategy, study design and data collection. In addition, group discussions will be held throughout the study (2nd and 3rd trimester) to assess potential barriers and facilitators to the intervention and data collection. At the end of each participant's involvement in the study, the participant will be asked to complete an anonymous, acceptability questionnaire to gain insights about participant's reactions to research participation and how acceptable the participant found study requirements and assessments were.

  2. Recruitment rate

    Time frame: one year

    This will be measured by the total number of participants recruited into the study. The investigators intend to recruit 120 participants. Recruitment rate will be calculated (number of participants per month)

  3. Adherence

    Time frame: From baseline till 6-8 weeks' postpartum

    number of drop-outs in each study arm. Analyses of drop-out rates (%) in four study arms. Self-reported quantity of milk consumed during the study. Number of follow-up visits. Proportion of participants who provide full data at baseline, throughout pregnancy and up to 6-8 weeks postpartum.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes in % of sites with bleeding on probing

    Time frame: baseline and 6-8 weeks' postpartum

    Certified and calibrated dentists will conduct dental examinations pre/post-intervention. Full mouth periodontal examination will be performed at six sites per tooth, using disposable periodontal probes with coloured-coded area and mirror but without X-rays. Bleeding scores will be determined as percentage of sites with bleeding relative to the total number of sites examined.

  2. Changes in maternal blood biomarkers to assess inflammation

    Time frame: 10 months on average

    Blood samples will be taken to assess changes in cytokines levels: CRP, IL-6 and MMP-9.

  3. Changes in maternal serum levels of 25(OH)D

    Time frame: 10 months on average

    Blood samples will be taken to assess changes in 25(OH)D levels

  4. Changes in maternal glucose levels

    Time frame: 10 months on

    Fasting blood samples will be taken to assess changes in glucose levels

  5. Changes in maternal insulin levels

    Time frame: 10 months on average

    Fasting blood samples will be taken to assess changes in insulin levels

  6. Changes in maternal serum levels of calcium

    Time frame: 10 months on average

    Fasting blood samples will be taken to assess changes in calcium levels

  7. Changes in maternal blood lipids levels

    Time frame: 10 months on average

    Fasting blood samples will be taken to assess changes in total cholesterol and HDL-c

  8. Neonatal levels of 25(OH)D

    Time frame: between 8 to 22 months

    drops of neonatal capillary blood will be collected via heel prick (200 μl) for measurement of 25(OH)D concentrations at the routine neonatal check-up

  9. Neonatal levels of calcium

    Time frame: between 8 to 22 months

    drops of neonatal capillary blood will be collected via heel prick (200 μl) for measurement of calcium concentrations

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Westminster

Other

Collaborators

  • Boston University
  • Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
  • Instituto Fernandes Figueira
  • Rio de Janeiro State University
  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
  • University of Oxford

Registry information

Official study title

Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation and Periodontal Therapy for Improving Metabolic and Inflammatory Profile Among Pregnant Women: a Feasibility Trial (THE IMPROVE TRIAL)

Acronym: IMPROVE

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
May 11, 2017
Registry last updated
Aug 3, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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