title: Relationship between severe early childhood caries and body mass index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between Severe Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC) and Body Mass Index (BMI) in the absence of any underlying medical condition for the school going (3 to 6 years old) children of Mathura city, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred caries free children (50 boys and 50 girls) and one hundred children (50 boys and 50 girls) affected with S-ECC in the age range of 3-6 years without any contributing medical history were included in the study. Measurements of the weight (kg) and height (m) were done using a standard balanced beam scale and stadiometer. The BMI (kg/m2) was determined and the body weight status was evaluated using CDC based classification for each child. Independent t-test was used to evaluate whether the weight, height and BMI of S-ECC children is significantly different from caries free children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the weight of the S-ECC children is more when compared to the normal children, the difference is not statistically significant. However, the mean BMI of S-ECC children is more when compared to the caries free children which was found to be statistically significant at p < 0.05. The body weight status of the Normal and S-ECC affected children based on the CDC classification revealed that 48% have been classified in underweight category and 43% in normal weight category and very few children are found to be at risk of overweight and overweight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A positive correlation between the BMI and S-ECC was observed in this study. 51% of caries free children and 45% of S-ECC children were classified in underweight category based on CDC classification.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, K D Dental College and Hospital, Mathura--Delhi N H #2, Mathura, 281001, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bhoomika
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ramakrishna
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Munshi
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000145:classification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000145:classification; D012737:Sex Factors; D013851:Thinness / Q000145:classification