Summary Trial/Dental Public Health
Evidence-Based Dentistry (2007) 8, 108–109. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6400527
Home visits providing diet advice may reduce early childhood caries
Do home visits that provide new mothers with advice about breastfeeding and weaning reduce the odds of infants developing early childhood caries?
Address for correspondence: CA Feldens, Universidade Luterana do Brasil — Curso de Odontologia, Av. Farroupilha 8001, Prédio 59, Bairro São José, Canoas RS 92425-900, Brazil. E-mail: feldens@brturbo.com.br
Cameron Walker1 and Valerie AA White2
- 1Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, Glasgow
- 2Department of Dental Public Health, NHS Fife and Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Feldens CA, Vitolo MR, Drachler Mde L. A randomised trial of the effectiveness of home visits in preventing early childhood caries. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2007; 35:215–223
Abstract
Design
This was a randomised controlled trial (RCT).
Intervention
Participants were randomised to either the control group, which received routine assistance from health service paediatricians, or an intervention group that received these routine visits and, in addition, regular home visits from trained fieldworkers who advised on healthy breastfeeding and weaning practice based on World Health Organization recommendations.
Outcome measure
The prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) was assessed by visual inspection at 12 months and the odds ratio (OR) of developing ECC at 12 months was calculated. ECC was considered present if one or more decayed surfaces were detected.
Results
ECC was recorded in 10.2% of the intervention group and 18.3% of the control group. The odds of developing ECC was 48% lower for the intervention group than in the control group when adjusted for number of teeth [OR, 0.52; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.27–0.97]. A significant difference in the mean number of decayed surfaces was found between the groups [intervention group, 0.37; standard deviation (SD), 1.37; control group, 0.63; SD, 1.62; Mann Whitney U test P 0.03].
Conclusions
Home visits giving dietary advice appear to help reduce ECC in infants.
