title: Infant breast-feeding and childhood caries: a nine-year study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study's purpose was to assess the association between infant breast-feeding and caries experience of primary second molars in a nine-year longitudinal cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study sample was 509 subjects recruited at birth. Information about breast-feeding duration and other factors was collected through parents' responses to periodic questionnaires. Primary teeth were examined for dental caries at five years old and nine years old by calibrated dentist examiners. Caries experience (yes/no) and number of decayed and/or filled surfaces (dfs) were determined for five- and nine-year-olds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For primary second molars at five years old, 18 percent of children who were breast-fed less than six months had caries (mean dfs=0.55) while only 9 percent of children who were breast-fed at least six months had caries (mean dfs=0.33). From five to nine years old, caries incidence was 32 percent and 31 percent, respectively, for children breast-fed less than six months and at least six months. In multivariable regression analyses, shorter breast-feeding duration was positively associated with caries experience of primary second molars at five years old (P=.005), both before and after controlling for other important factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Shorter duration of breast-feeding is suggested to be associated with increased risk for early childhood caries, but its impact might diminish with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tenn., USA. lhong2@uthsc.edu.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Broffitt
mesh_terms: D001628:Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003744:Dental Enamel Hypoplasia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D012307:Risk Factors; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005459:Fluorides