Padrões de aleitamento e cárie precoce de infância em crianças de 4 anos

Abstract

Dental caries is a disease that remains one of the most prevalent globally despite being preventable. The literature is not consistent about the association between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding patterns and the development of early childhood caries (ECC). Considering that ECC is a multifactorial disease, it is important to evaluate other factors that influence its development. The aim of the study was to investigate the associations between patterns of breastfeeding and bottle-feeding and ECC at age 4, with participants from the Generation XXI cohort. The adjusted results show that breastfeeding for more than 6 months (OR= 1.04; 95% CI 0.59-1.83) and bottle-feeding for more than 12 months (OR= 0.88; 95% CI 0.70-1.11) are not associated with dental caries. Our results show that the dietary pattern has a greater influence on ECC, namely the increased risk, in the dietary pattern of eating energy-dense foods (OR=1.26; 95% CI 1.02-1.56). To prevent ECC, a multidisciplinary approach is important, focusing on nutrition and oral health care. Breastfeeding should be encouraged and may be prolonged, however, more research is needed to understand the risk of developing caries when breastfeeding beyond 6 months.