Community Dental Health

cover art

Cover Date:
September 2008
Print ISSN:
0265 539X
Vol:
25
Issue:
3

Association between breastfeeding duration and non-nutritive sucking habits

Objective To evaluate the relationship between breastfeeding duration and the prevalence of non-nutritive sucking habits in children with deciduous dentition. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted on the mothers of 551 children aged 3 to 6 years, randomly selected from public pre-schools in São Paulo, Brazil. Mothers were asked to complete a questionnaire that included items regarding their children’s age, gender, race, method and duration of infant feeding, as well as pacifier use and/or digit-sucking habits. According to the answers pertinent to the method and duration of infant feeding, children were assigned to five groups: 1 – never breastfed, 2 – breastfed for a period shorter than 3 months of life, 3 – breastfed for 3 to 6 months, 4 – breastfed for 6 to 9 months, and 5 – breastfed for 9 months or longer. Data were submitted to the Fisher’s exact test with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons to analyse possible associations between breastfeeding duration period categories and non-nutritive sucking behaviours. Results Pacifier use frequency was high in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 (85%, 87.6%, 78% and 70%, respectively), in comparison with that in group 5 (38.6%). The prevalence of non-nutritive sucking habits was significantly reduced in children who were breastfed for nine months or longer (p=0.000). There were no statistically significant differences in the frequencies of pacifier use and/or digit-sucking habits between genders, regardless of the breastfeeding duration period. Conclusion Children aged 3-6 years who were breastfed for nine months or longer had a lower prevalence of non-nutritive sucking habits.

Key words: Breastfeeding, deciduous dentition, sucking habits

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
161
Page End
165
Authors
H. Scavone-Jr, C.H. Guimarães-Jr, R.I. Ferreira, A.C.R. Nahás, F. Vellini-Ferreira

Articles from this issue

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  1. Editorial - Research on oral health and the quality of life – a critical overview
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  1. Comparison of two methods in deriving a short version of oral health-related quality of life measure.
  2. 132
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  1. Oral health and its impact on the life quality of homeless people in Hong Kong
  2. 137
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  1. The presenting complaints of low income adults for emergency dental care: An analysis of 35,000 episodes in Victoria, Australia.
  2. 143
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  1. International variation in the incidence of oral and pharyngeal cancer
  2. 148
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  1. Caries prevalence in 2-year-old children in the city of Zurich
  2. 154
  3. 160

  1. Association between breastfeeding duration and non-nutritive sucking habits
  2. 161
  3. 165

  1. I want braces: factors motivating patients and their parents to seek orthodontic treatment.
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  1. Cariogenic and erosive potential of the medication used by HIV-infected children: pH and sugar concentration
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  1. Prevalence of breath malodour in 7-11 year old children living in Middle Anatolia, Turkey.
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  1. Enamel fluorosis in 12- and 15-year-old school children in Costa Rica. Results of a National Survey, 1999
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  1. Restorative treatment threshold reported by Iranian dentists
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  1. Short Communication - Fissure sealants on permanent first molars – consequences of a one-year delay
  2. 191
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