Feeding, artificial sucking habits, and malocclusions in 3-year-old girls in different regions of the world.
OBJECTIVE
The way babies and young children are reared is important to their health and development. Extensive breast-feeding has also been shown to reduce the development of artificial sucking habits like digit or pacifier-sucking. The aim of this study was to determine feeding methods, artificial sucking habits, and the presence of malocclusions in 3-year-old girls living in different regions of the world.


METHODS
Children from the following countries were involved in the present study: (1) Brazil (Porto Alegre); (2) Japan (Niigata); (3) Mexico (Mexico City); (4) Norway (Oslo); (5) Sweden (Falköping); (6) Turkey (Istanbul); (7) and the United States (Iowa City, Iowa). During the interview and examination, the following variables were evaluated and registered: (1) breastfeeding and bottle-feeding; (2) duration and frequency; (3) sucking habits; (4) posterior and anterior crossbites; and (5) other malocclusions/normal occlusion.


RESULTS
The prevalence of breast-feeding was very high in all groups, ranging between 78% and 98%. The prevalence of bottle-feeding in the different areas was also high. Except for Iowa City, the prevalence of digit-sucking was relatively low. Pacifier-sucking is fairly popular in most areas, with the exception of Niigata. The prevalence of normal occlusion in different cities ranged from 38% to 98%.


CONCLUSIONS
There are considerable differences in feeding, as well as artificial sucking habits, in different areas of the world and at different periods.
Caglar
Esber
E
Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Yeditepe University Dental School, Istanbul, Turkey. caglares@yahoo.com
Larsson
Erik
E
Andersson
Els Marie
EM
Hauge
Mariann S
MS
Ogaard
Björn
B
Bishara
Samir
S
Warren
John
J
Noda
Tadashi
T
Dolci
Gabriel Schmidt
GS
D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001938:Brazil; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005248:Feeding Methods / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005386:Fingersucking; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D007564:Japan; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000209:etiology; D008800:Mexico; D009664:Norway; D041361:Pacifiers / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013391:Sucking Behavior; D013548:Sweden; D014421:Turkey