Misconceptions and traditional practices toward infant teething symptoms among mothers in eastern Sudan

Mohammed Ahmed A Ahmed,Karimeldin M Salih,Bahaeldin A Hassan,Ishag Adam,Abdullah Al-Nafeesah

doi:10.20396/bjos.v20i00.8660967

Mohammed Ahmed A Ahmed, Karimeldin M Salih + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.20396/bjos.v20i00.8660967

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Abstract

There is no much published data on the mothers’ false beliefs about signs and symptoms associated with teething in Sudan. Aim: This cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted to assess mothers` knowledge about infant teething process and to evaluate mothers’ practices used to alleviate teething disturbances in Gadarif city, eastern Sudan. Methods: Questionnaires were used to collect data. Multivariate logistics regression models were performed and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results/Conclusion: Of a total of 384 participating mothers, 126 (32.8%) had good knowledge about infant teething. The mothers’ knowledge was associated with a higher number of children in the family (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.14) and with having a job (AOR = 2.22). Mothers residing in rural areas (AOR = 0.40) and mothers with lower than secondary education (AOR = 0.43) were less likely to have good knowledge about teething. Diarrhea (88.5%), fever (86.5%), an urge to bite (76.6%), and poor appetite (71.9%) were the signs and symptoms most attributed to teething by mothers. Only the mother’s knowledge about teething was associated with reporting fever as a sign. A considerable number (317; 82.6%) of mothers reported performing “Dokhan” (acacia wood smoke), 313 (81.5%) preferred to administer paracetamol or other systemic analgesics, 262 (68.2%) agreed that a child with tooth eruption should be taken to a hospital or health center, and 216 (56.3%) believed that antibiotics relieved symptoms related to teething.

Highlights

Tooth eruption is a normal physiological process whereby a tooth moves from within the jaw to the oral cavity[1]
This study found that 32.8% of the participating mothers had good knowledge about teething
A study conducted in neighboring Ethiopia reported that 65.4% of mothers knew that teeth start to erupt at 6–7 months of age, and 74.8% knew that the lower central incisors are the first to erupt

Summary

Introduction

Tooth eruption (teething) is a normal physiological process whereby a tooth moves from within the jaw (intraosseous position) to the oral cavity[1]. Teething usually starts at around six months and continues up to around three years of age[2]. Symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, dermatitis, constipation, irritability, respiratory diseases, repeated finger sucking, rashes, facial flushing, and poor appetite were believed to be associated with teething[3,4]. Mothers usually use systemic and topical analgesics to relieve teething pain and antibiotics to treat associated symptoms[6]. They have their children bite objects to alleviate symptoms[7]. Many medical and non-medical (traditional or other) practices are used as teething treatments without consultation of a dentist or pediatrician[8]

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