Risk Factors For Early Childhood Caries Research Articles

Risk factors for early childhood caries in patients with cleft lip and palate: a descriptive study

Introduction: Cleft lip and/or palate is a common congenital defect. Children with this condition often experience abnormalities in the anatomical and morphological structures of the oral cavity, which contribute to poor oral hygiene and a lack of interest in maintaining dental care. Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a prevalent dental health problem in patients with cleft lip and/or palate and is affected by factors such as sugary food consumption, oral hygiene habits, frequency and use of milk bottles, and parental socioeconomic status. This study aims to identify the risk factors for ECC in children with cleft lip and/or palate. Methods: This study employed descriptive research methods, using interviews with ECC risk factor questionnaires and purposive sampling based on Taro Yamane's formula, resulting in a sample of 91 parents of children diagnosed with cleft lip and/or palate. The questionnaires used in this research had undergone validity and reliability testing. The results were analyzed using frequency distribution. Results: The results of this research showed that most respondents had education level equivalent to junior high school or high school (51.65%). The respondents' average income was below 1.5 million as follows, accounting 47.25% of the sample. All respondents (100%) demonstrated good knowledge of maintaining their children's oral hygiene. However, the majority of respondents provided sweet foods (51.65%) and sweet drinks (43.65%) to their children 1-3 times per day. Additionally, 49.45% of respondents reported giving milk to their children before sleep, and 45,05% indicated that their children sometimes fell asleep eating without brushing teeth. Conclusion: The risk factors for ECC in patients with cleft lip and/or palate include parental education and income, children's habit of sleeping after eating without brushing their teeth, frequency of sugary foods consumption, frequency of formula milk consumption, and the practice of giving milk to children before bedtime.

Risk Factors of Early Childhood Caries among Preschool Children in Madipakkam, Chennai: Cross-Sectional Survey

ABSTRACT Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a major oral health problem, mainly in socially disadvantaged populations. ECC affects infants and preschool children worldwide. Aim: A survey to identify the factors influencing the ECC among preschool children in Madipakkam, Chennai. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 3-5-year-old preschool children in Madipakkam, Chennai. Three schoolchildren participated in the study. In total, 313 children aged three to five years took part in the study. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect general information to assess their feeding habits and oral hygiene practices. Results: Dental caries experience (dmft and deft) was high among children who were bottle-fed compared to children who were breastfed. The children who were breastfed for less than six months had more caries than other children who were breastfed for more than six months. Conclusion: Factors such as age and BMI did not show any association with ECC. Other factors such as feeding habits, snacking, oral health behavior, parental assistance in brushing, and regular dental visits are found to be associated with the ECC. Most of the risk factors studied in this study are modifiable. Therefore parents and children should be educated about the risk factors of ECC and mechanisms to control it.

Early Childhood Caries and Nutritional Status of Children: A Review.

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a serious public health issue affecting children around the world. Severe symptoms and complications commonly found with ECC are adverse effects on health and growth retardation triggered by sensitivity, pain, and abscesses associated with decayed teeth, premature tooth loss, and insufficient food intake due to difficulty in chewing and keeping food in the mouth. This article aims to provide an overview of the most recent and current evidence on the association between ECC and nutritional status with an aim to stimulate further research and to identify the impact of nutritional status on ECC and vice versa. PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were used to search the studies conducted between 2016 and 2022. The included studies were searched using some keyword combinations and saved in Mendeley Desktop for review and referencing. All books, policy briefs, thesis/dissertations, and non-peer-reviewed articles were excluded, and 47 studies were selected for this narrative review. Many studies have identified long-term, frequent, and nocturnal bottle-feeding and breastfeeding as well as frequent consumption of sugary food and beverages as high-risk factors for ECC. Adverse nutritional status assessed by anthropometric measures, vitamin D status, and iron-deficiency anemia have been studied as risk factors for ECC. Most of the prevailing studies are either case-control or cross-sectional studies, which are unable to provide strong evidence to prove the direction of causality. Thus, further prospective studies are needed to clarify the association between ECC and the nutritional status of children.

A scoping review linking early childhood caries to violence, neglect, internally displaced, migrant and refugee status

BackgroundThe aim of the scoping review was to identify and synthesize the available literature concerning the relationship between the status of refugees, migrants, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Early Childhood Caries (ECC) as it relates to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16).MethodsData regarding the links between the status of refugees, migrants, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Early Childhood Caries (ECC), and the associations between ECC and maternal and child exposure to physical and sexual abuse, insecurity, crime, exploitation, torture, and displacement were extracted. The search was carried out in January 2023 across three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus). Only publications in English with accessible full texts were included. Descriptive statistics were utilized to summarize the categories of the retrieved papers, and graphical representation was employed for visualization purposes. The relationships between the publications and each of the 10 targets of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG 16) were also assessed.ResultsForty-five studies were reviewed. Most studies (42.2%) originated from the Americas Regions, while no studies were identified from the Africa Region. A significant portion (46.7%) of the papers focused on abuse, violence, and neglect as risk factors for ECC. Migrants, refugees, and IDPs were the most investigated populations (44.4%). Only one study specifically focused on IDPs and migrants respectively. The prevalence of untreated caries was higher among migrants, refugees, and IDPs compared to the host community, ECC was more prevalent among children who experienced abuse, neglect, or were in protective care. The was no clear direction on the associations between ECC and intimate partner violence, adverse childhood experiences, and wars. In terms of the SDGs, the reviewed publications addressed four targets (SDG16.1, SDG16.2, SDG16.3, and SDG16.5) out of the ten targets outlined in SDG 16.ConclusionThere is available evidence regarding the connections between ECC and war, refugees, migration, violence, and neglect, as outlined in SDG 16. Future studies are needed to investigate how forced movements directly affects ECC status, how disruptions of peace and stability is a risk factor for ECC, and the associations between ECC and other indicators related to SDG 16 targets.

Nutritional Status, Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries, and its Association among Preschool Children in Northeast India.

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a common public health problem in developing countries. Children with severe decay can also have altered eating habits and preferences. Therefore, ECC can influence nutritional health. The aim is to find the prevalence of ECC and nutritional status and to evaluate its association among preschool children in Northeast India. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 preschool children aged 2-6 years. The sampling unit comprised the children attending the pediatric dentistry department of one dental college. Information regarding sociodemographic factors, child feeding habits, and child oral hygiene practices was obtained from the parents using a pretested questionnaire. Weight and height were evaluated to assess the nutritional status. The decay, missing, filled teeth index for primary teeth was used to determine the dental caries status. The mean value of carious teeth for 384 children aged 2-6 years was 5.6 ± 2.43. Most kids who had caries (74.7%) belonged to the moderate category (dmft >7), followed by the low sort, which was 16.7%, and then by those in the higher class (8.6%). The body mass index (BMI) for age revealed that 5.2% were overweight, 15.1% were thin, and 8.3% were obese. Most of those with high caries (i.e., dmft >7) were underweight or in the normal weight category. Pearson correlation showed no significant correlation between ECC with BMI-for-age (r = 0.04, P > 0.05). The prevalence of dental caries among children below the age of 5 years in Imphal was high. The risk factors for ECC included age, low maternal education, improper feeding, and oral hygiene habits. However, the results revealed no significant relationship between ECC and BMI.

Association of Maternal Factors on Early Childhood Caries: A Case–Control Study

Abstract Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) can have a substantial impact on the child’s quality of life. Postnatal maternal practices and care of the child are potential risk factors for ECC. Only a small number of cohort studies have looked at potential dietary risk factors at this age. This study aimed to investigate the association between maternal caries status and child caries status along with its relationship with the postnatal factors in the development of ECC. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed amongst 300 mother–child pairs. Participants were randomly selected into two groups according to the caries status: Group A – children with ECC and Group B – children without caries. Caries status of the mother and child was recorded. A close-ended questionnaire was given to the mothers to know their knowledge and practices about child oral healthcare. Data obtained were analysed using IBM SPSS version 20.0. The level of significance adopted was 5%. Results: The mean decay rank is lowest for children <36 months of age (141.72) and is highest for children between 49 and 60 months (178.21). The children of working mothers are more affected by ECC when compared to children of non-working mothers (P < 0.05). There is a significant association between mother’s dental caries status and child’s dental caries status (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The present study showed that there is a clear relationship between ECC in children and maternal caries status and feeding patterns, especially night feeding.

Caesarean-section delivery and caries risk of 3-year-old Chinese children: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundCaesarean-section (C-section) may influence children’s long-term health by affecting bacterial colonization. However, few studies have focused on the association between C-section delivery (CSD) and dental caries, and previous conclusions have been conflicting. This study aimed to explore whether CSD would increase the risk of early childhood caries (ECC) in preschool children in China.MethodsThis study was a retrospective cohort study. Three-year-old children with full primary dentition were included through the medical records system. Children in the nonexposure group were vaginally delivered (VD), while children in the exposure group were delivered through C-section. The outcome was the occurrence of ECC. After agreeing to participate in this study, guardians of included children completed a structured questionnaire on maternal sociodemographic factors, children’s oral hygiene and feeding habits. The chi-square test was used to determine differences in the prevalence and severity of ECC between the CSD and VD groups and to analyse the prevalence of ECC according to sample characteristics. Subsequently, potential risk factors for ECC were preliminarily identified through univariate analysis, and the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were further calculated through multiple logistic regression analysis after controlling for confounding factors.ResultsThe VD group included 2115 participants while CSD group included 2996 participants. The prevalence of ECC was higher in CSD children than in VD children (27.6% vs. 20.9%, P < 0.05), and the severity of ECC in CSD children was higher (mean number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth, dmft: 2.1 vs. 1.7, P < 0.05). CSD was a risk factor for ECC in 3-year-old children (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.10–2.83). In addition, irregular tooth brushing and always prechewing children’s food were risk factors for ECC (P < 0.05). Low maternal educational attainment (high school or below) or socioeconomic status (SES-5) may also increase the prevalence of ECC in preschool children and CSD children (P < 0.05).ConclusionsCSD would increase the risk of ECC in 3-year-old Chinese children. Paediatric dentists should devote more attention to the development of caries in CSD children. Obstetricians should also prevent excessive and unnecessary CSD.

RISK PREDICTORS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES INCREMENT-A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS.

This systematic review aimed to investigate the risk predictors of caries in primary teeth and evaluate their association with the increment of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) among preschool children. This systematic review included only cohort or case-control studies of at least 2 years duration, over 300 participants and with English full-text. Potentially eligible studies were retrieved from 4 electronic databases (Ovid Embase, Ovid MEDLINE; PubMed, Web of Science) from inception to March 1, 2021. Independent screening and data extraction by 2 reviewers to identify factors associated with ECC increment, including family and socioeconomic factors, dietary and oral health-related habits, and clinical parameters. A total of 18 studies from 163 potential reports were included, involving 1,159,226 preschool children. Lower parental education attainment was found associated with ECC increment (WMD:0.87; 95% CI 0.52, 1.21); whereas immigration status (WMD:-0.38; 95% CI -1.09, 0.34), gender (WMD:-0.02; 95% CI -0.28, 0.24), and dental service utilization (WMD:0.35; 95% CI -0.10, 0.79) were not significant factors for ECC increment. All included studies consistently suggested positive correlations between ECC increment and baseline caries experience, plaque level, cariogenic microorganisms, and prenatal and passive smoking, while mixed findings were detected between ECC increment with dietary and oral hygiene practices. Preschool children whose parents have low education level are more likely to have greater increment of ECC over 2 years. Existing caries lesions, increased dental plaque level, cariogenic microorganisms, prenatal or passive smoking were also consistently identified as risk factors for ECC in all reviewed studies. This systematic review highlights specific risk factors to target for the prevention of ECC and supports implementing more oral health promotion for preschool children with parents of lower educational attainment.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for ECC Among Preschool Children from India along with the Need of its Own CRA Tool- A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACTIntroduction:Caries in the deciduous dentition of children under six years of age is termed as early childhood caries (ECC). ECC is prevalent among Indian children and identifying modifiable risk factors is important for prevention. This systematic review was undertaken to describe the burden of ECC in India, its prevalence, associated risk factors along with its repercussions on childhood health.Materials and Methods:A search was conducted for published Indian studies on ECC through electronic databases and complemented with hand search. The protocol for the present systematic review was registered at PROSPERO (Ref No.CRD42022306234)Care was taken to include studies which could represent all parts of India- Central, North, South, East and West. Included papers were reviewed for prevalence of ECC and reported risk factors.Results:Overall 37 studies on ECC in India were identified relating to prevalence, 11 reported risk factors and two reported on the association between severe ECC and nutritional health and well-being. The prevalence of ECC in India in these studies varied from16% to 92.2%. This systematic review revealed that ECC is prevalent among Indian children and highlights the need of preventive intervention and early risk assessment by its own caries risk assessment (CRA) tool. Occurrence seems to be firmly connected with age, snacking frequency, feeding and oral hygiene habits and with social determinants of health including parental education level, low socioeconomic status and number of siblings.

Prevalence and risk factors of early childhood caries in the Middle East region: A systematic review.

The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of early childhood caries (ECC) in the Middle East region in the age group 0-6 years. A systematic literature search was performed in three major databases, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane database, from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 2020, to identify the published literature on the prevalence and risk factors of ECC. All preschool children of 0-6 years of age irrespective of gender and socioeconomic status from the selected geographics were included. A total of 26 full-text articles with a study population of 14,479, age group 0-6 years, were included in the study. The overall ECC prevalence in the Middle East region ranged from 26.50 to 99% in the 0-6-years age group. The mean decayed missing filled teeth ranged from 0.95 to 16.9, reported in studies from Jeddah, West Province, and Al-Jouf, Northern region of Saudi Arabia. In the United Arab Emirates, the prevalence ranged from 41 to 83%. The evaluation of the included studies revealed a total of 103 risk factors for ECC. Low socioeconomic status, dietary habits, poor oral hygienic attitude and behaviors, and poor access and availability of dental care services were the major risk factors. Most studies found low socioeconomic status, gender, age of the child, parents' education, low maternal education, and type of school to be significant risk factors for ECC. Children attending public schools were at a greater risk of having ECC. Gender (male) was another important risk factor. ECC can be prevented by focusing on prevention programs of dental caries, developing awareness-generating programs focusing on oral health education, and increasing access and availability of dental care services.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Parents on Early Childhood Caries in Qatar-A Questionnaire Study.

Objectives The aims of the present study were to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward early childhood caries (ECC) in a group of Qatari parents and to assess the association of sociodemographic factors on their KAP. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study which was based on a piloted self-administered questionnaire was conveniently distributed to parents who attended the Pediatric Dentistry Section, Hamad Dental Center (HDC), Doha, Qatar. The questionnaire comprised four parts which asked about sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. A score for each domain was given based on the percentage of correct answers. Statistical Analysis Descriptive and analytical statistics were employed. For descriptive statistics, frequency of distribution in relation to sociodemographic characteristics and responses to items of the questionnaire were presented. For analytical statistics, associations between independent variables and KAP were employed using Chi-squared tests. Results The overall mean scores of KAP were 60.8%, 65.6% and 72.7%, respectively. Females had significantly higher percentages of correct answers than males ( p = 0.001). Only 20% of females had poor knowledge, while it was 40% in males. Parents with university or higher degrees had significantly higher percentage of good attitudes than parents with preparatory or less education ( p = 0.05). Areas that necessitated improvement by parents included the following: the amount of toothpaste needed for brushing, signs of tooth demineralization, bacteria that causes tooth decay can be transmitted from mother to her child, and tooth decay can be transmitted by sharing utensils (i.e., spoons, forks). Conclusions The overall KAP of parents toward ECC was relatively fair. However, certain socioeconomic factors (SEF) seemed to influence each domain, and areas of improvement are needed. Areas of improvement are needed in each domain. Mothers were significantly more knowledgeable than fathers regarding oral health issues of their children. Highly educated parents demonstrated better attitudes than the less educated. Continuous educational programs coordinated by health regulatory bodies should be introduced to improve parents' KAP regarding ECC risk factors and prevention.

Feeding practices and early childhood caries among children with primary dentition

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) is major oral health problem of young children. Risk factors for ECC are poor oral hygiene and feeding practices. Prevalence and severity of ECC is increasing with change in lifestyle and diet pattern in developing countries. Objectives: To assess the association between feeding practices and severity of early childhood caries in preschool children. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted with convenient sample of 96 children up to six years age in Peoples Dental College from July to December 2020. Clinical examination included the recording of dental caries (dmft) using WHO criteria. The self-validated questionnaire consisting seven questions about feeding practices was asked to mothers. The Chi-square test was performed to determine association between severity of ECC and feeding pattern. Results: Mean dmft was 6.77 ± 5.91. Prevalence of severe-ECC (S-ECC) was highest in youngest age group. Caries experience was similar in breast fed, bottle fed, and mixed. There was no significant difference in non-severe ECC and ECC in relation to duration of breast or bottle feeding but frequency of night feeding was associated with S-ECC. Children given ready-made infant formula solid food had more S-ECC (13, 92%) compared to non-severe ECC (1, 7.1%) which was statistically significant. Children given homemade gram flour food were noted to have less of S-ECC (5, 27.5%) than nonsevere ECC (13, 72.5%) which was statistically significant. Conclusion: Present study revealed that multiple night feeding and weaning with readymade food are significant factors for S-ECC.

Global Early Childhood Caries: A Review of Literature

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is a major public health concern in the world. There is a high prevalence of ECC in developing countries. The review aimed to synthesise the published literature on the global prevalence of ECC and its associated factors. Researches conducted in Asian, European, American and African countries were included. The review included observational cross-sectional, case-control, cohort studies, and clinical trials. The ECC varies across countries and the continents. Several studies showed inequitable distribution of ECC within regions of a country. The result of this review provides global prevalence of ECC and associated risk factors. Despite the variation of prevalence of ECC, it remains a universal burden. Studies have demonstrated that even in developed countries, ECC represents a significant burden in preschool children. The S. mutans and , oral hygiene habits, breastfeeding and bottle feeding along with factors such as parental education are major risk factors for ECC. There have been limited studies conducted on ECC in Nepal.

Impact of Breastfeeding and Cosleeping on Early Childhood Caries: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The type and duration of breastfeeding can be key factors in the development of early childhood caries (ECC). The association between nighttime feeding and ECC was investigated. Specifically, whether cosleeping is a potential mediator of children’s oral health was investigated, considering many of the etiological factors of caries. In this cross-sectional study, 212 children (aged 2–4 years) from Madrid (Spain) who breastfed at night were examined to assess the mean decayed/filled primary teeth (dft) index, and a questionnaire was administered to the mothers to collect data on the practice of breastfeeding and cosleeping and its duration, the number of nighttime feeding sessions, sugar content in the diet, dental hygiene habits, and age at first dental visit. The dft index was lower in the group that breastfed for less than 18 months (p = 0.02). In addition, there were significant differences in the dft index in the group breastfeeding for more than 18 months between those who coslept for 18 months or more and those who coslept for less than 18 months (p < 0.05), as well as between those who coslept for 18 months or more and those who did not cosleep (p < 0.01). In conclusion, breastfeeding at night from 18 months onwards is considered a risk factor for ECC.

Association of polymorphisms in genes involved in enamel formation, taste preference and immune response with early childhood caries in Saudi pre-school children.

Dental caries is primarily elicited by modifiable factors such as inadequate oral hygiene, poor dietary practices and deficient fluoride exposure. However, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting the profound influence of genetic factors in dental caries susceptibility. The present study aimed to evaluate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ENAM (rs12640848), MMP20 (rs1784418), TAS2R38 (rs713598), and LTF (rs4547741) genes and early childhood caries (ECC) in Saudi preschool children. This case-control study enrolled 360 Saudi preschool children (262 with ECC and 98 caries-free). Data on environmental factors were collected through a questionnaire. However, caries experience and oral hygiene data were obtained during clinical examination. Buccal swab samples were collected for DNA extraction and SNPs were genotyped using PCR and DNA sequencing. Children with ECC were compared to caries free children (control), then they were categorized into two categories based on ECC severity as follows; non-severe ECC (NS-ECC), and severe-ECC (S-ECC). Association between the SNPs, ECC, NS-ECC, and S-ECC was reported as an odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The majority of the children (72.8%) exhibited ECC (31.7% NS-ECC and 41.1% S-ECC) with mean dmft of 4.20 ± 4.05. Multivariate analyses of environmental factors showed that nocturnal feeding was a risk factor for ECC (P = 0.008). Poor oral hygiene was also a risk factor for both NS-ECC and S-ECC (ECC: P < 0.0001, NS-ECC: P = 0.032 and S-ECC: P < 0.0001). Univariate analysis showed that the AG genotype of rs1784418 of MMP20 gene was protective against ECC (OR = 0.532; 95% CI = 0.316–0.897, P = 0.018) and against NS-ECC (OR = 0.436; 95% CI = 0.238–0.798, P = 0.007). When environmental risk factors for ECC were included as covariates during multivariate analysis, AG variant in rs1784418 of MMP20 gene remained less frequent in NS-ECC cases compared to controls with borderline significance (OR = 0.542; 95% CI = 0.285–1.033, P = 0.063). Our findings concluded that MMP20 rs1784418 SNP might be associated with protection against ECC in Saudi preschool children.

Risk Indicators for Early Childhood Caries in South Africa: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

BackgroundEarly childhood caries (ECC) is a common disorder characterized by the presence of one or more decayed (non-cavitated or cavitated lesions), missing (due to caries), or filled tooth surfaces of primary teeth in children 71 months old or younger. South Africa has a diverse population in terms of culture, education, income, and occupation. This diversity is due to the consequences of historical racial discrimination, poverty, unemployment, lack of accessibility to health services, and quality of education. These factors make South Africa unique, and the disease and risk profiles for this country differ from those of other countries at similar stages of development. For these reasons, it is important to identify the unique maternal and infant risk factors for ECC in the South African context.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to determine the risk factors associated with the incidence and prevalence of ECC in South Africa in children under the age of 6 years.MethodsAll cross-sectional and cohort studies documenting risk factors associated with the prevalence and incidence of dental disease and severity (decayed, missing, and filled scores) will be included. We will search 7 databases for eligible studies, and those included will be based on prespecified inclusion criteria. Only studies conducted with South African children who are aged 6 years and younger in which dental caries risk factors are documented will be included. There is no restriction on the time or language of publication. Included articles will be scrutinized for quality by using a risk of bias tool developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The results will be presented narratively, and if possible, a meta-analysis will be performed.ResultsThe literature search was conducted in November 2020.ConclusionsThe results of this study will provide a framework to inform medical and dental personnel to highlight mothers and infants at risk of developing ECC.Trial RegistrationPROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020216455; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=216455International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/26701

Early Childhood Junk Food Consumption, Severe Dental Caries, and Undernutrition: A Mixed-Methods Study from Mumbai, India.

In India, globalization has caused a nutrition transition from home-cooked foods to processed sugary snacks and drinks, contributing to increased early childhood caries (ECC). This mixed-methods study describes risk factors for ECC and associations with undernutrition in low-income communities in Mumbai. Interviews with mothers of 959 children, ages six-months through six-years, addressed maternal-child nutrition and oral health, and children received dental exams and anthropometric assessments. Focus groups with community health workers and mothers explored experiences and perceptions of oral health, nutrition, and ECC. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses of quantitative data, and content analysis of qualitative data were performed. Eighty percent of children lived 5 min from a junk-food store, over 50% consumed junk-food and sugary tea daily, 50% experienced ECC, 19% had severe deep tooth decay, 27% experienced mouth pain, and 56% experienced chronic and/or acute malnutrition. In children ages 3–6, each additional tooth with deep decay was associated with increased odds of undernutrition (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.10, Confidence Interval [CI] 1.02–1.21). Focus groups identified the junk-food environment, busy family life, and limited dental care as contributors to ECC. Policy interventions include limits on junk-food marketing and incorporating oral health services and counseling on junk-food/sugary drinks into maternal–child health programs.

Is Low Birth Weight a Risk Factor for Early Childhood Caries? : A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort

Objectives: We investigated the impact of birth weight on early childhood caries (ECC) to identify theassociation between birth-related factors and oral health using Korea’ national health screening database.Methods: Children born between 2008 and 2012 who had undergone the first and second health screening atleast once and had been confirmed ECC through ECC examination in the first to third oral health screeningwere included. They were classified according to the presence of dental caries (ECC or non-ECC group)and their birth weight (low [LBW; &lt;2,500 g] or normal birth weight [NBW; 2,500–4,000 g]). We analyzedthe association of multiple variables with ECC and examined the impact of birth weight on ECC by logisticregression and log binomial modeling to determine the odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR).Findings: ECC prevalence among the 47,633 included infants and children was approximately 29%. Logisticregression and log binomial modeling showed that the OR and RR for ECC were 0.82 (95% CI, 0.73-0.91)and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.79-0.94), respectively, for children with LBW against those with NBW.Conclusions: Our results indicated that LBW is not a risk factor for ECC. ECC is a preventable disease forwhich early detection is crucial. Therefore, oral health screening programs for infants and children shouldbe further promoted to prevent oral diseases and improve oral health.

Factors Associated with Early Childhood Caries in Polish Three-Year-Old Children.

To assess the prevalence and associated factors with early childhood caries (ECC) in a Polish population. A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 656 three-year-old preschool children of both sexes. Data were collected through oral examination of the children and a questionnaire self-reported by their parents. The questionnaire contained information on sociodemographic aspects, feeding and oral hygiene practices, dental care utilisation and dental health knowledge. Associations between ECC and caries-related factors were analysed with use of bivariate and multivariate logistic regression and Mann-Whitney U test. ECC was diagnosed in 64.0% children from the rural area and 46.6% from the urban one, more often in boys (57.7%) compared to girls (49.5%) and S-ECC in 37.1%, 24.2%, 31.5% and 27.5%, respectively. The associations between caries experience and living in a rural area, male sex, education level and oral health-related knowledge of a parent, tooth brushing frequency, nocturnal bottle-feeding and feeding with sweet beverages at the age over 12 months, consumption of sweetened within the first 2 years of age and drinking of sweet beverages once a week at bivariate level were found. In the final model of the logistic multivariate regression analysis, seven variables were associated with ECC experience. They revealed the probability in decreasing order: living in a rural area (odds ratios (OR) = 1.90); feeding the child during the first 2 years with sweetened food (OR = 1.77); nocturnal drinking of sweet beverages by the >12-month-old child (OR = 1.73); education level of parent (OR = 1.53); gender - male (OR = 1.48); nocturnal bottle-feeding of the over-12-month child (OR = 1.44); and frequency of tooth brushing (OR = 1.41). The most prominent risk factors for ECC were living in a rural area, consumption of sweetened foods within the first 2 years of age and nocturnal drinking of sweet beverages by the over 12-month-old child.

Relationship between preterm, low birth weight and early childhood caries: a meta-analysis of the case-control and cross-sectional study.

Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the most prevalent chronic infectious diseases in children. The effective prevention and treatment are heavy burdens and study hotspots for pediatric dentists. Many studies had investigated the relationship between preterm, low birth weight (LBW) and ECC; however, the results were inconsistent. The present study was conducted with an evidence-based study to figure out the relationship between preterm, LBW and ECC for the first time. After searching the database, case–control and cross-sectional studies relevant to the relationship between preterm, LBW and ECC up to December 2019 were included. The data about odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were extracted and calculated with STATA 14.0 Software. A total of 22 studies were included in this meta-analysis, 9 studies of which did not only explore the relationship between ECC with preterm, but also study the relationship between ECC and LBW, 7 studies of which explored the relationship between preterm and ECC, and 6 studies of which studied the relationship between LBW and ECC. The meta-analysis results showed that the preterm increased the risk of ECC (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.36–1.87) significantly. There was no difference between LBW and normal birth weight in the incidence of ECC (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.94–1.33). The meta-analysis results of adjustment OR about LBW were similar to the crude OR (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.71–1.57). This meta-analysis indicated that preterm increased the risk of ECC significantly; however, LBW was not a risk factor for ECC.