Is there an association between low birth weight and caries in the primary dentition?

An association between low birth weight and caries in the primary dentition has been suggested but not demonstrated. This study analyzed this association using data from a probability sample of US children 2-6 years of age.

Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) were used. Variables included decayed and filled primary surfaces (dfs), birth weight, gestational age, and Apgar score (a surrogate measure of fetal well-being); maternal age, education, income; number of previous births, marital status, the existence of pregnancy complications, and cigarette smoking during the pregnancy. Data were analyzed using SUDAAN 8.0.2.

Bivariate Poisson regression showed that children of mothers who were unmarried (incidence density ratio, IDR = 3.28), with less education (IDR = 1.43), who were 17 years of age or younger at birth (IDR = 1.51), and had 2 or fewer prenatal visits (IDR = 1.65) had a significantly ( p <0.05) greater risk of caries than the reference groups. Children of mothers with pregnancy-related hypertension (IDR = 0.14) had less than 20% the risk of caries than the reference group. Blacks (IDR = 1.37) and Mexican-Americans (IDR = 2.38) had greater risk of caries than whites, and children of low (IDR = 2.57) and middle income (IDR = 2.00) level families had higher caries risks than those of upper income families. Multivariate Poisson regression found only race-ethnicity, age, and income level to be statistically significant.

This study did not support the association between low birth weight and caries of the primary dentition.