The prevalence of nursing caries in Davangere preschool children and its relationship with feeding practices and socioeconomic status of the family.
The aim of the present study was to find the prevalence of nursing caries in Davangere preschool children and its relationship with feeding practices and socioeconomic status of the family.


METHODS
A total of 813 children aged 2-6 years were screened for the present study from randomly selected three kindergarten schools each from Government, Government aided, and private managements. Clinical examination was done inside the respective schools. At the time of examination, a proforma was filled for each child comprising of DFS index. The questionnaire by Winter et al. was modified and used in this study. The completed proformas were statistically analyzed to find if any correlation existed between the nursing caries to the feeding practices and socioeconomic status of the family.


RESULTS
Duration of breastfeeding increases the number of children with nursing caries and the mean DFS. There is a strong and significant relationship between the severity of nursing caries and the degree of feeding abuse. Children from low socioeconomic status have increased early childhood caries.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of nursing caries was 19.2% in Davangere preschool population. Nursing caries were more in children who were taking a feeding bottle to bed at night and were increasingly seen in large families and lower socioeconomic groups.
Tyagi
R
R
I.T.S. CDSR Dental College and Hospital, Delhi-Meerut Road, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, UP, India. tyagi_rishidoc@hotmail.com
D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008403:Mass Screening; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012578:Schools, Nursery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012923:Social Class; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data