The relationship of sleep problems and sleep-associated feeding to nursing caries.
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of sleep problems in the etiology of nursing caries. Two-hundred mothers of children (104 with nursing caries and 96 caries free) from ages 2 to 4.5 years were surveyed to determine whether difficulty with child sleep and ensuing sleep-associated feeding might be related to the presence of nursing caries. Differences were noted between these two groups regarding: average number of nights the child slept through the night (P < 0.001); total hours of sleep per night (P < 0.05); frequency of night waking episodes (P < 0.01); feeding on demand upon waking (P < 0.01); using a bottle to assist with falling asleep at night (P < 0.001); and feeding in association with nap time (P < 0.001). Differences also were noted in regard to average age of weaning (P < 0.001). Our findings suggest that sleep problems among young children are a behavioral risk factor for night-time bottle use and early childhood caries.
Shantinath
S D
SD
Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, USA.
Breiger
D
D
Williams
B J
BJ
Hasazi
J E
JE
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014851:Wakefulness; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology