title: Maternal calcium supplementation during pregnancy and dental caries of children at 12 years of age: follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate if calcium supplementation during pregnancy could have any influence on primary dentition measured as the reduction of dental caries of the child.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hospital in Rosario, Argentina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random sample of 195 12-year-old children from a follow-up study of 614 women who were randomized during pregnancy to calcium supplementation or placebo.
  
  
  METHODS
  An independent researcher blinded to the group where the mothers were assigned performed a dental examination of the children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proportion of children with at least one decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT/dmft) and mean number of decayed, missing or filled surfaces (DMFS/dmfs) per children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-eight children were assessed in the calcium supplementation group and 97 in the placebo group. 63.3% of the children whose mother took calcium supplementation had at least one DMFT/dmft compared to 86.6% in the placebo group (<0.001). The children whose mother received the intervention had a 27% reduction in the risk of developing at least one DMFT/dmft (RR: 0.73, CI 95%: [0.62; 0.87]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows a modeling effect of calcium intake during pregnancy on dental caries of the offspring. At around 12 years of age children whose mothers received calcium supplementation when pregnant showed a significant reduction in dental caries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bergel
authors.forename: Luz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: María G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rasines
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luetich
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Belizán
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012306:Risk; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium