Breastfeeding practice in Kuwait: determinants of success and reasons for failure

To explore the possible determinants of duration of breastfeeding in Kuwait, 234 mothers completed a questionnaire concerning the feeding of their youngest infant. The questionnaire addressed the factors that contributed to their willingness to continue breastfeeding and enquired about the factors leading to their decision to end it. Only 26.5% of the mothers had continued breastfeeding for 6 months or more. Separate family housing, higher maternal age, late initiation of breastfeeding, being employed without the feasibility to breastfeed at work, breastfeeding information given after rather than before birth, and maternal and infant sickness were all significant contributors influencing early cessation. Father's support was a significant factor that encouraged the practice. In conclusion, preventive strategies are recommended for boosting breastfeeding, with special emphasis on the factors linked to early cessation, aiming at full implementation of the WHO global public health recommendations for successful breastfeeding in Kuwait

surgical management of gingival fibromatosis by the ledge and wedge technique

The Ledge and Wedge surgical procedure is not new. It may be used for aesthetic enhancement and to prevent oral hygiene problems in a patient. This article outlines a simple surgical technique, with criteria for its use, which results in a high degree of predictability and satisfaction

Gingival condition of pregnant Kuwaiti women: a clinical and hormonal assay at various levels of pregnancy

The present work was carried out in an attempt to determine the severity of gingival condition during pregnancy in Kuwaiti women and its relationship between pregnancy and gingival conditions. The investigation was done on 75 pregnant and 25 non-pregnant Kuwaiti women who were not under hormonal contraceptive treatment and experience a regular 28 day menstrual cycle. A clinical dental examination and hormonal assay was done for the pregnant and non-pregnant women in each trimester This report supports previous studies indicating that a significant increase in the severity of gingivitis is duel to pregnancy. There are marked increases of sex hormones during pregnancy

Report of oral health in attendees at the Kuwait Oral Health Week, March 1988

The purpose of the present investigation was to report on oral health in the adult Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti population and to study whether oral hygiene habits were affected by living conditions. The study group comprised 320 respondants in the age group 14 -51 years. Data on oral health behaviour were collected by a written questionnaire. It was found that 44.7% used soft toothbrushes, 52.3% used medium toothbrushes and 3% used hard toothbrushes. Frequency of toothbrushing showed that 22.2% used them once / day, 49.7% used them twice / day and 1% used them three times / day. Regular use of toothpicks was reported by 40.0%, while dental floss was used by 33.5%. Information on oral hygiene was gained by 35.1% from the dentist, 6.1% from dental assistants and 58.4% from non-professional sources [mass media, relatives, etc.]. Dental visits were reported as follows: 25.6% visited the dentist once a year, 19.1% twice or more and 55.3% visited the dental office only for emergency treatment. Periodontal treatments were reported by 6.6% to be surgical in nature, 24.1% as having had scaling and polishing only and 12.8% as having obtained oral hygiene instructions, while the remaining had no periodontal treatment