Department of Public Health Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Jun 6;24(1):1525. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-19044-1.
Breastfeeding is a crucial feeding practices that significantly contributes to the healthy development of children. However, the effect of breastfeeding duration on caries risk is unclear, as different studies have found different results. This study aims to assess the prevalence of dental caries and its association with breastfeeding duration among young children aged 12-36 months in selected health facilities of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
A cross-sectional study among 380 children aged 12-36 months from 11 health centers in Addis Ababa was conducted. Questionnaires and dental examinations were used to collect data. Dental caries was measured by the deft (decayed-extracted-filled teeth) index. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association between dental caries and duration of breastfeeding, after adjusting for the confounders.
The prevalence of dental caries was 53.4% (95% CI: 48.3, 58.5%), with 13.7% having high caries and 39.7% having low caries. Breastfeeding duration was not significantly associated with dental carries, after adjusting for confounders. However, sugar intake, older age, mothers' unemployment, and not being in marital union are risk factors for dental caries development.
Promotion of healthy diet, especially limiting intake of sugar and sweets, and integration of oral health into primary health care programs are recommended. Further research using longitudinal design or meta-analysis is recommended to establish more concise evidence on the association between breastfeeding duration and dental caries.
母乳喂养是一种至关重要的喂养方式，对儿童的健康发育有重要影响。然而，母乳喂养时间对龋齿风险的影响尚不清楚，因为不同的研究得出了不同的结果。本研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚亚的斯亚贝巴选定卫生机构中 12-36 个月龄儿童的龋齿患病率及其与母乳喂养时间的关系。
在亚的斯亚贝巴的 11 个卫生中心对 380 名 12-36 个月龄的儿童进行了横断面研究。使用问卷和口腔检查收集数据。使用 deft（龋齿、失牙、补牙）指数衡量龋齿情况。采用二元逻辑回归，在调整混杂因素后，评估母乳喂养时间与龋齿之间的关联。
龋齿患病率为 53.4%（95%CI：48.3, 58.5%），其中高龋率为 13.7%，低龋率为 39.7%。调整混杂因素后，母乳喂养时间与龋齿之间无显著关联。然而，糖的摄入、年龄较大、母亲失业以及未处于婚姻关系是龋齿发展的风险因素。
建议推广健康饮食，特别是限制糖和甜食的摄入，并将口腔健康纳入初级卫生保健计划。建议使用纵向设计或荟萃分析进一步研究，以建立更明确的母乳喂养时间与龋齿之间关联的证据。
