Abstract

FERREIRA, Fabiana Vargas; MARCHIONATTI, Ana Maria; OLIVEIRA, Marta Dutra Machado  and  PRAETZEL, Juliana Rodrigues. Association between duration of breastfeeding and its influence upon the development of harmful oral habits. RSBO (Online) [online]. 2010, vol.7, n.1, pp. 35-40. ISSN 1984-5685.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify harmful oral habits and relate them to the duration of breastfeeding. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study, using data from 143 dental charts of 0-59 months-old children of a public pediatric dental clinic. The charts contained information about presence of harmful oral habits and its frequency, as well as the duration of breastfeeding. Data were analyzed through chi-square test with significance level of 5%. RESULTS: It was observed that 94 children (76.4%) used pacifiers, 28 (22.7%) presented oral breathing, 18 (14.7%) had bruxism and 15 (12.2%) bit their nails. Data from 143 dental charts indicated that 94 children (65.7%) were breastfed for less than 6 months. There was a statistical significant association between duration of breastfeeding and harmful oral habits. CONCLUSION: The insufficient duration of breastfeeding is associated with the presence of harmful oral habits.

Keywords : breastfeeding; harmful oral habits; prevalence.