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Caries patterns and their relationship to infant feeding and socio-economic status in 2-4-year-old Chinese children.

AIMS
To describe the prevalence, severity and patterns of caries in 2-4-year-old children and to evaluate the association between caries experience of the children and their feeding patterns and socio-economic background in terms of mothers' education and family income.


DESIGN
Cross-sectional survey.


SETTING
Suburban area of Hanchuan in Hubei province, China.


PARTICIPANTS
A sample of 426 children (250 boys and 176 girls).


METHODS
Dental-examinations were undertaken in kindergartens using World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for dental caries. Mothers completed a short questionnaire.


OUTCOME MEASURES
Prevalence of caries; rampant caries; caries in incisors; caries in incisors and/or canines and molars; mean number of decayed, missing and filled teeth/surfaces (dmft/s).


RESULTS
36% of the children had caries, 7% had rampant caries. The more extensive pattern of caries involving primary molars as well as incisors and/or canines was seen in 12% of children. Children who had been wholly bottle-fed had five times the risk of having rampant caries compared to children who were breast-fed.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated that infant feeding practice might be a key risk factor for the development of caries at an early age in this country as elsewhere.