Oral Health of Babies and Mothers during the Breastfeeding Period

Abstract

Introduction: Puerperal woman and new-born children are vulnerable and frequently have neglected health conditions. Aim: The objective is to describe the oral health and saliva profiles of women and their babies during the breastfeeding period, including breast milk. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven mothers were interviewed and demographic data were recorded. The mother-baby pairs underwent intraoral examination. The mothers were submitted to examination of oral mucosa, oral hygiene status by O’Leary, periodontal condition and caries (DMF-T: decayed, missing and filled teeth) in order to establish buccal conditions. The babies had their oral mucosa and teeth examined. Salivary samples of babies and mothers as well the breastmilk of mothers were collected and analysed by 1 H-NMR through a 600 MHz spectrometer. The data were analysed in a statistical program SPSS.21 (IBM Statistics). Results: The mothers’ mean age was 27-years-old and 53.9% of mothers were overweight. The oral condition revealed poor oral health: DMF-T=8.20, 72.4% had gingivitis and 62% had dental plaque. The babies presented 4.18% cases of oral candidiasis and 2.08% cases of Bohn nodules, with no caries. The salivary 1 H-NMR spectra from babies with more than six months of age showed increased levels of lactate, ethanol, acetate, propionate, N-butyrate and N-acetyl sugars and reduced levels of other sugars. The 1 H-NMR analysis of salivary samples from the mothers showed metabolites such as propionate, ethanol, lactate, acetate, butyrate and N-acetyl and sugar region. The 1 H-NMR breast milk demonstrated high quantity of lactose in a region of spectra characteristic from sugars. It was concluded that the mothers had low levels caries activity; however, though they had past dental caries history. This may have an impact on the oral health of their children. Conclusion: Our study focused on the oral health and saliva profiles of women and their babies during breastfeeding period. This data could design a preventive programme that would improve the oral health and quality of life.

Keywords

• child
• mother-child relationship
• nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
• oral hygiene
• saliva