Can be Grandmother as Child's Daytime Caregiver a Risk Factor for Higher Caries Experience in Early Childhood? A Retrospective Study

• Main Authors: Bruna Thober Pires (Author), Djessica Pedrotti (Author), Cássia Mendes da Silva (Author), Fernanda Morais Ferreira (Author), Márcia Figueiredo Cançado (Author), Tathiane Larissa Lenzi (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Association of Support to Oral Health Research (APESB), 2022-03-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Objective: To investigate the association between child's daytime caring person and risk for higher early childhood caries (ECC) experience. Material and Methods: The sample consisted of all clinical records (census) of children (0-3 years old) attended in a public dental clinic, which contained information about caries experience and child's daytime caring person (mother, grandmother or others). Caries experience was dichotomized as dmft ≤ 2 or dmft >2. Data were analyzed by the chi-square (α = 0.05). Binary logistic regression models were built. Results: From a total of 310 children, 19% of children had the grandmother as daytime caring person. There was no association between child's daytime caring person and caries experience (p=0.32). Logistic regression analysis showed that low daytime caregiver schooling (OR: 5.76 95%CI 1.18-28.18; p=0.02) and child's age (OR: 1.14 95% CI 1.09-1.19; p=0.00) were risk factors, and breastfeeding duration (> 9 months - OR: 0.38 95% CI 0.21-0.68; p=0.00), no nocturnal feeding (OR: 0.50 95% CI 0.27-0.91; p=0.02), and absence of sugar consumption between main meals (OR: 0.50 95% CI 0.28- 0.89; p=0.02) were protection factors for ECC. Conclusion: A higher caries experience in early childhood is not associated to child's daytime caring person. On the other hand, the higher caries experience is associated with low caregiver schooling and older children.

Item Description

1519-0501
1983-4632