Perera Priyantha Julian, Fernando Meranthi Preethika, Warnakulasooriya Tania Dayanthi, Ranathunga Nayomi
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, No 1 'Lakpriya', Wedikanda Road, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka.
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2014;23(2):272-7. doi: 10.6133/apjcn.2014.23.2.13.
Feeding practices during early childhood play an important aetiological role in early childhood caries (ECC). The role of feeding practices in causation of ECC is debated. The objective of this study was to assess the aetiological role of feeding practices on ECC. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted at a paediatric unit in Sri Lanka. Two hundred and eighty-five children between 36 to 60 months, admitted to the unit were randomly selected for the study. An interviewer administered questionnaire asked about socio-demographic characteristics and feeding practices. The mouths of children were examined for dental caries. Out of 285 children, 61% had exclusive breast feeding up to six months, 69% continued breast feeding beyond two years and 82% had overnight feeding after two years of age. One hundred and thirty-six children (47.7%) had dental caries with a mean deft score of 1.81. Overnight feeding with any type of milk beyond two years significantly increased dental caries incidence and severity. Children exclusively breast fed for six months or had breast feeding beyond two years had a higher prevalence of caries than children not exclusively breast fed or who were not breast feed beyond two years, but the difference was not significant. Overnight feeding with any type of milk beyond two years should be discouraged.
幼儿期的喂养习惯在幼儿龋齿（ECC）的病因学中起着重要作用。喂养习惯在ECC病因中的作用存在争议。本研究的目的是评估喂养习惯对ECC的病因学作用。在斯里兰卡的一个儿科病房进行了一项描述性横断面研究。随机选取该病房收治的285名36至60个月的儿童作为研究对象。由一名访谈员发放问卷，询问社会人口学特征和喂养习惯。检查儿童口腔中的龋齿情况。在285名儿童中，61%在6个月内纯母乳喂养，69%在两岁后继续母乳喂养，82%在两岁后有夜间喂奶的情况。136名儿童（47.7%）患有龋齿，平均乳牙龋失补牙面数（deft）得分为1.81。两岁后夜间用任何类型的牛奶喂奶会显著增加龋齿的发生率和严重程度。纯母乳喂养6个月或两岁后继续母乳喂养的儿童龋齿患病率高于非纯母乳喂养或两岁后未进行母乳喂养的儿童，但差异不显著。应不鼓励两岁后夜间用任何类型的牛奶喂奶。
