Association between prolonged breast-feeding and early childhood caries: a hierarchical approach.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to investigate the association between prolonged breastfeeding and early childhood caries(ECC) with adjustment for important confounders, using hieraschical approach.


METHODS
This retrospective cohort study involved 260 low-income children (18-42 months). The number of decayed teeth was used as a measure of caries. Following a theoretical framework, the hierarchical model was built in a forward fashion, by adding the following levels in succession: level 1: age; level 2: social variables; level 3: health variables; level 4: behavioral variables; level 5: oral hygiene-related variables; level 6: oral hygiene quality measured by visible plaque; and level 7: contamination by mutans streptococci. Sequential forward multiple Poisson regression analysis was employed.


RESULTS
Breast-feeding was not a risk factor for ECC after adjustment for some confounders (incidence density ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-1.59, P = 0.363).


CONCLUSIONS
Prolonged breast-feeding was not a risk factor for ECC while age, high sucrose comption between main meals and the quality of oral higiene were associated with disease in children.
Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis, Brazil.
Ana Margarida Melo
AM
Nunes
Claudia Maria Coelho
CM
Alves
Fernando
F
Borba de Araújo
Tânia Mara Lopes
TM
Ortiz
Marizélia Rodrigues Costa
MR
Ribeiro
Antônio Augusto Moura da
AA
Silva
Cecília Claudia Costa
CC
Ribeiro
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors