ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of dental disease in 3-4-year-old children born pre-term and low birth weight (PLBW) in East London, UK, to make comparisons with normal birth weight children (NBW), and to investigate the impact of dietary habits on the development of dental caries in primary teeth. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects were 100 children (54 boys and 46 girls) with a mean age (+/- SD) of 41.70 +/- 5.11 months. The children were resident within walking distance of the dental hospital and were invited to attend with their parents. Demographic data and information about feeding practices from infancy to the present were ascertained by structured questionnaire. Dental caries status was determined, and height, weight and head circumference were also measured. RESULTS: Sixty children had experienced dental caries with a mean (+/- SD) dmft of 2.98 +/- 3.93, 25 of whom had a dmft greater than 5. Normal birth weight children (3.00 +/- 4.18) and boys (3.55 +/- 4.48) had a significantly increased dmft over PLBW children (2.95 +/- 3.35) and girls (2.29 +/- 3.04). The PLBW children were more likely to have used a bottle from birth and one in four children were still using a bottle at the time of the dental examination. The PLBW children were significantly more likely to eat sugar than NBW children, scoring 5.53 +/- 2.10 and 4.61 +/- 1.94, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A clear relationship exists between poor diet and PLBW in a group of children resident in the East End of London. Targeted infant feeding programmes, education and support for families with regard to dental care is of importance to avoid an unnecessary amount of dental disease in young children.
