Int J Paediatr Dent. 2021 Sep 27. doi: 10.1111/ipd.12930. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The association of breastmilk feeding and dental caries risk in children remains controversial. Moreover, it is unclear whether caries risk factors differ between breastmilk-fed and formula-milk-fed infants.
AIM: To investigate dental caries in 13-18-month-old infants receiving breastmilk or formula milk feeding and associated risk factors.
DESIGN: One hundred and sixty-six 13-18-month-old infants were recruited from a tertiary hospital in xxx, xxx. Information on feeding practices, demography and potential risk factors was collected using a caregiver questionnaire. Carious lesions were identified by visual and tactile examination. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney-U tests and Logistic regression were used for statistical analyses.
RESULTS: Caries prevalence in breastmilk- and formula-milk-fed infants was 31.8% and 36.0%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (p=0.579). Among all children, having dental plaque deposition on more than 1/3 of the crown (adjusted OR(aOR)15.11, 95%CI 6.11-37.35) and sleeping while milk feeding (aOR2.20, 95%CI 1.01-4.77) were associated with dental caries. However, in subgroup analysis, sleeping while milk feeding increased caries risk in formula-milk-fed group only (aOR2.95, 95%CI 1.07-8.12).
CONCLUSIONS: Type of milk feeding was not associated with dental caries, while dental plaque and sleeping while milk feeding increased the odds of having dental caries in this population.
PMID:34570950 | DOI:10.1111/ipd.12930
