Habit-breaking methods employed by mothers of children with nonnutritive sucking habits resident in suburban Nigeria

Parents are often concerned about their children's nonnutritive sucking (NNS) habits and may institute mechanisms to try to break them. Aim: The study identified various methods instituted by mothers resident in a suburban Nigeria to break NNS habits of children, reasons for wanting to break the habit, and the association between instituted methods and sociodemographic profile of the mothers. Materials and Methods: The data of 129 mothers of children aged 4 years to 12 years who had NNS habits at the time of conducting a household survey were analyzed. Statistical Analysis: Tests of associations were conducted to determine the association between maternal age and level of education and methods employed to break child's NNS habits. Results: Eighty-four mothers (65.1%) made efforts to break the habit. Habit persisting to older age was the main concern. The most common method employed for breaking habits was punishing the child (54.8%).Only 7 (20.0%) mothers who were concerned about NNS habit(s) sought professional advice. A greater though insignificant percentage of mothers in the 25–34 years age group (57.2%; P = 0.48) and those with secondary school level of education (56.0%; P = 0.12) made efforts to break their children's NNS habits. Conclusions: The majority of mothers were concerned about their children's NNS habits. However, very few concerned mothers sought professional advice. Efforts need to be made to improve the public awareness about the availability of professional services for managing NNS habits and potential impact of employing nonprofessional methods to break habits.

Orientações para a retirada de hábitos de sucção na infância / Guidelines for withdrawal of sucking habits in childhood

O entendimento divergente entre profissionais da saúde quanto à causalidade dos hábitos de sucção deletérios, mais a falta de respaldo científico, é o que tem levado pais e profissionais a manter tais hábitos na criança, por não saber como proceder. Este artigo pretende oferecer aos profissionais que atuam diretamente com a criança alguns conhecimentos básicos sobre os aspectos psicológicos e comportamentais associados à prática dos hábitos de sucção deletérios, que poderão aprimorar a qualidade das suas orientações sobre o assunto e contribuir para a remoção de tais problemas. Pretende-se reunir estratégias para planejar intervenções apontadas na literatura, além de apresentar um roteiro de entrevista que pode auxiliar o profissional a obter informações mais precisas sobre a instalação, frequência e duração dos hábitos de sucção infantis.

An investigation of the impacts of feeding type on the development of occlusion in Weifang children / 实用口腔医学杂志

Objective:To assess the impacts of feeding type and non-nutritive sucking activity on occlusion in deciduous dentition in WeiFang city.Methods:The occlusion of 958 children aged 3 -5 years old in WeiFang city and their feeding types as well as the non-nutritive sucking habit during the first 1 2 months after birth were investigated by questionaire study.Data were statistically ana-lysed.Results:The prevalence of malocclusion in non-nutritive sucking habit group and non-habit group was 42% and 22% respec-tively(P =0.000 2).The type of feeding did not have effect on occlusion and openbite.The prevalence of openbite in the children with sucking habit and in those without habit was 17% and 4% respectively(P <0.000 1 ).The prevalence of posterior crossbite in the chil-dren with bottlefeeding and those with breastfeeding was 1 1 % and 4% respectively(P =0.000 2).The prevalence of posterior crossbite in the children with sucking habit and those without habit was 9% and 4% respectively(P =0.036 7).Conclusion:Non-nutritive sucking habit rather than feeding type in the first 1 2 months after birth is the main risk factor of malocclusion,breastfeeding is the pro-tective factor to occlusion.

Harmful oral suction habits in children: association with breastfeeding and family social profile / Hábitos bucais de sucção deletérios em crianças: associação com padrão de aleitamento e perfil social familiar

Purpose: To record the prevalence of nonnutritive sucking habits (thumb and pacifier sucking) in children at 6 and 12 months of age and test its association with family social profile and breastfeeding pattern. Method: The sample consisted of 80 pairs of mother-child living in the Northwest region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the presence of nonnutritive sucking habits, family social profile and breastfeeding pattern when the children had 6 and 12 months of age. Data were analyzed by using qui-square tests. Results: Pacifier sucking was more frequent than thumb sucking. Exclusive breast feeding was not reported for children either in the 6th or 12th month of age, and approximately 70% were already receiving artificial feeding. There was no association between family social profile and sucking habits, but lower rates of breastfeeding was associated with pacifier sucking in the 12-month old children. Thumb sucking was not associated with breastfeeding. Conclusion: The frequency of breastfeeding was lower than that recommended by WHO for children in the age groups assessed. Pacifier sucking was more prevalent than thumb sucking and was associated with a lower rate of breastfeeding in the 12th-month old children. Family social profile does not seem to be related with nonnutritive sucking habits.

Objetivo: Registrar o padrão de aleitamento materno, o padrão familiar social e os hábitos de sucção deletérios (chupeta e dedo) em crianças com 6 e 12 meses de idade e testar a associação desses fatores. Metodologia: A amostra foi composta por 80 pares de mãe-criança, residentes da região do noroeste do estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Utilizou-se um questionário semi-estruturado para a coleta de dados de presença ou não de hábito de sucção de chupeta e/ou dedo, tipo de aleitamento e padrão familiar social quando as crianças tinham 6 e 12 meses de idade. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente por testes qui-quadrado. Resultados: Nenhuma criança esteve sob aleitamento materno exclusivo ao 6º e ao 12º mês de idade; 69% já estavam recebendo aleitamento artificial. Mais da metade da amostra (n=52) relatou ao menos um hábito de sucção deletério, sendo que a chupeta foi mais prevalente que a sucção digital. Houve associação entre menor taxa de aleitamento ao 12º mês e sucção de chupeta, mas a sucção digital não interferiu no aleitamento materno. Conclusão: O padrão de aleitamento materno esteve abaixo do recomendado pela OMS para o período correspondente. A sucção de chupeta foi mais prevalente que a digital e ao 12º mês esteve associada à menor taxa de aleitamento materno.

A influência do padrão de aleitamento no desenvolvimento de hábitos de sucção não nutritivos na primeira infância / The influence of feeding methods in the development of nonnutritive sucking habits in childhood

O estudo analisou a relação entre o padrão de aleitamento e o desenvolvimento de hábitos de sucção não-nutritivos em crianças de 12 a 36 meses de idade, de creches públicas na cidade de João Pessoa (PB). A amostra constou de 292 crianças, de ambos os gêneros e a coleta de dados abrangeu entrevistas com as mães/responsáveis. As informações dos formulários consistiam na descrição da frequência e duração dos hábitos de sucção não-nutritivos, bem como dos métodos de aleitamento. Os dados foram analisados através do programa SPSS, realizando-se distribuições de frequências e os testes estatísticos do qui-quadrado e Exato de Fisher. Observou-se que, com relação à presença de hábitos de sucção não-nutritivos, 69,2 por cento das crianças tinham algum tipo de hábito, sendo 61,6 por cento a sucção de chupeta e 8,2 por cento a sucção digital. De toda a amostra, 10,2 por cento realizaram aleitamento natural exclusivo, 4,9 por cento, o aleitamento artificial exclusivo e 84,9 por cento, o aleitamento misto. Considerando os tipos de aleitamento, 83,8 por cento das crianças realizaram aleitamento natural exclusivo durante os seis primeiros meses de vida. O padrão de aleitamento apresentou associação significativa com a presença de hábitos de sucção não-nutritivos. Quanto maior a duração do aleitamento natural exclusivo, menor a prevalência de hábitos de sucção não-nutritivos e o padrão de aleitamento.

This study verified the relationship between nonnutritive sucking habits and feeding methods in children from 12 to 36 months of age, attending public nursery schools in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba State. The sample consisted of 292 children of both gender and the data were collected by interviewing the children's mothers or minders. The information of the forms consisted on the description of the frequency and duration of the nonnutritive sucking habits, as well as on the feeding methods. The data were analyzed through the statistical program SPSS, taking place distributions of frequencies and qui-square test and Fisher Exact. In relation to the presence of nonnutritive sucking habits, 69.2 percent of the children had some type of habit, being 61.6 percent the pacifier sucking and 8.2 percent the digital sucking. From the entire sample, 10.2 percent presented exclusive breastfeeding, 4.9 percent were just bottle-fed and 84.9 percent were breast-fed and bottle-fed. Considering the methods of feeding, 83.8 percent of the children presented exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life. The feeding methods presented significant association with the presence of nonnutritive sucking habits. As larger the duration of the exclusive breastfeeding, smaller the prevalence of sucking habits.