Background: Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is defined as the presence of caries lesion in an primary tooth in\nchildren below the age of 71 months. It is a significant public health problem with consequences for the growth\nand development of affected children. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and ECC risk\nindicators in a suburban population in Nigeria.\nMethods: The data of 497 children aged 6 months to 71 months who were recruited through a household survey\nconducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria was analysed for prevalence of ECC and risk indicators. Information on childrenââ?¬â?¢s ages,\nsex, socioeconomic status, tooth brushing habits, sugary snacks consumption, use of fluoridated toothpaste, birth\nrank, infant-feeding practices, breastfeeding practices, maternal age at childbirth, and maternal knowledge of oral\nhealth was obtained. Childrenââ?¬â?¢s oral hygiene and caries status was also determined. Risk factors associated with ECC\nwere determined using logistic regression analysis.\nResults: Thirty-three (6.6 %) children had ECC. Four (0.8 %) had severe ECC. The four risk indicators for ECC were\nthe childââ?¬â?¢s gender, mothersââ?¬â?¢ knowledge of oral health, consumption of sugary snacks in between meals more than\nthree times a day, and the childââ?¬â?¢s oral hygiene status. Females (PR: ?0.06; 95 % CI: ?0.01ââ?¬â?? -0.01; p = 0.02), and children\nwith mothers who had good knowledge of oral health (PR: ?0.06; 95 % CI: ?0.11ââ?¬â??ââ?¬â??0.008; p = 0.02) were less likely to\nhave ECC. Children who consumed sugary snacks in between meals three times a day or more (PR: 0.05; CI: 0.003 ââ?¬â?? 0.01;\nP = 0.04) and children with fair oral hygiene (PR: 0.05; 95 % CI: 0.005ââ?¬â??0.10; p = 0.03) were more likely to have ECC.\nConclusions: The prevalence of ECC in the study population was low. Promoting good oral hygiene practices and\nenhancingmothersââ?¬â?¢ knowledge of oral health may help reduce further, the risk for ECC in the study population.
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