The potential role of breast-feeding and other factors in helping to reduce early childhood caries.
OBJECTIVE
Dental caries is the most common chronic disease in US children. Early childhood caries (ECC) is particularly virulent and can interfere with a child's ability to eat, grow, speak, and communicate. Studies on whether breast-feeding or bottle-feeding are more likely to reduce ECC have proven inconclusive.


METHODS
The study population included 175 children, aged 1 to 5, receiving dental care at the Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital in Atlanta, GA. Participation included a dental exam, chart data abstraction, and a personal interview with the mother.


RESULTS
Too few exclusively breast-fed children prevented the adequate study of breast-feeding. However, children exclusively bottle-fed for at least 1.5 years had more decayed or filled tooth surfaces than children breast-fed part of that time but well short of a year. No bottle at night nor juice at irregular times, the mother's brushing of her child's teeth, and adequate dental care in the mother seemed to reduce ECC.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest measures that might reduce ECC risk. Medical providers must discuss oral health with new mothers and educate them on the important role they play in keeping their babies' teeth healthy
Caplan
Lee S
LS
Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive, SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA. lcaplan@msm.edu
Erwin
Katherine
K
Lense
Elizabeth
E
Hicks
James
J
D001628:Beverages; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004037:Diet, Cariogenic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D012307:Risk Factors; D014099:Toothbrushing