Caries patterns and their relationship to infant feeding and socio-economic status in 2-4-year-old Chinese children.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence, severity and patterns of caries in 2-4-year-old children and to evaluate the association between caries experience of the children and their feeding patterns and socio-economic background in terms of mothers' education and family income.


METHODS
Cross-sectional survey.


METHODS
Suburban area of Hanchuan in Hubei province, China.


METHODS
A sample of 426 children (250 boys and 176 girls).


METHODS
Dental-examinations were undertaken in kindergartens using World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for dental caries. Mothers completed a short questionnaire.


METHODS
Prevalence of caries; rampant caries; caries in incisors; caries in incisors and/or canines and molars; mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth/surfaces (dmft/s).


RESULTS
36% of the children had caries, 7% had rampant caries. The more extensive pattern of caries involving primary molars as well as incisors and/or canines was seen in 12% of children. Children who had been wholly bottle-fed had five times the risk of having rampant caries compared to children who were breast-fed.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated that infant feeding practice might be a key risk factor for the development of caries at an early age in this country as elsewhere.
Du
M
M
National Centre for Transcultural Oral Health, Eastman Dental Institute for Oral Health Care Sciences, University College London, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WCIX 8LD, UK.
Bian
Z
Z
Guo
L
L
Holt
R
R
Champion
J
J
Bedi
R
R
D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D018881:Suburban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data