Prenatal, perinatal and postnatal risk factors associated with hypomineralised second primary molars – A cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate the prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal risk factors associated with hypomineralised second primary molars (HSPM) in four to seven-year-old children. MethodsThis cross-sectional study comprised 300 children (100 with HSPM and 200 controls). Four-to-seven-year-old children were selected after examining for the presence of demarcated hypomineralised lesions in second primary molars using an adapted version of the European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (EAPD) criteria 2003. Children who exhibited signs of HSPM were selected as the subjects HSPM group), and those children without HSPM were taken as controls. Only patients with documented medical records were included to evaluate the possible risk factors. Information regarding the children's maternal health during pregnancy and postnatal health was recorded using a structured proforma. ResultsMothers suffering from systemic illnesses during pregnancy were significantly more in the HSPM group than controls (61% vs. 13.5%; p < 0.001). Presence of early childhood illnesses (80% vs. 19.0%; p < 0.001), hospital admission more than once in three months (45% vs. 4.5%; p < 0.001), and frequent intake of antibiotics (42% vs. 4.0%; p < 0.001) were significantly more in children with HSPM than the controls. ConclusionA significant association between maternal illnesses during pregnancy and HSPM was observed. Children with HSPM experienced more medical conditions than their unaffected counterparts, particularly during the post-natal period.