PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Serwint, J. R.
AU  - Mungo, R.
AU  - Negrete, V. F.
AU  - Duggan, A. K.
AU  - Korsch, B. M.
TI  - Child-Rearing Practices and Nursing Caries
DP  - 1993 Aug 01
TA  - Pediatrics
PG  - 233--237
VI  - 92
IP  - 2
4099  - http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/92/2/233.short
4100  - http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/92/2/233.full
SO  - Pediatrics1993 Aug 01; 92
AB  - Objective. To determine which child-rearing practices are associated with nursing caries. Design. Cross-sectional study. Setting. Hospital-based general pediatric clinic. Participants. Sequential sample of 110 healthy children aged 18 to 36 months. Outcome measures. Feeding practices of children, limit-setting issues, and familial dental health were determined by maternal interview. Nursing caries were diagnosed by dental examination. Results. Nursing caries were found in 22 (20%) of the children. Ninety percent of children with and without caries were bottle-feeding at 12 and 18 months of age. Ninety-one percent of children with caries and 84% without were still drinking a nighttime bottle at 18 months (P = .33). The mothers of children with caries were found to have fewer years of education, 8.9 vs 10.8 years (P = .02), and were more likely to have eight or more cavities, 55% vs 19% (P = .002). More infants in the caries group had been breast-fed, 72% vs 46% (P = .02), although length of breast-feeding was similar, 5.4 vs 6.7 months. Fewer children with caries drank fluoridated tap water 27% vs 54% (P = .05), but there were no differences in topical fluoride use, dental hygiene practices, or visits to the dentist. Conclusions. These findings fail to substantiate a straightforward relationship between child-rearing practices and nursing caries and suggest that well-designed prospective studies are need to clarify the etiology of early caries.