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Increased enamel hypoplasia and very low birthweight infants

S Nelson1, J M Albert, C Geng

  • 1Department of Community Dentistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA. sxn15@case.edu

Journal of Dental Research
|July 17, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Very low birthweight (VLBW) infants show higher enamel hypoplasia risk. Early childhood caries (ECC) incidence was similar between VLBW and normal birthweight infants, but VLBW infants need ECC monitoring due to hypoplasia.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Neonatal Health
  • Dental Public Health

Background:

  • Birth cohort studies on enamel defects and early childhood caries in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants are scarce.
  • Developmental defects of enamel (DDE) and early childhood caries (ECC) can impact long-term oral health.
  • VLBW infants represent a population at potential risk for dental anomalies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the incidence of ECC and DDE in VLBW and normal birthweight (NBW) infants.
  • To identify risk factors for DDE and ECC in these cohorts.
  • To inform monitoring strategies for VLBW infants.

Main Methods:

  • A birth cohort study involving 234 VLBW and 234 NBW infants.
  • Dental assessments for ECC and DDE (enamel hypoplasia, demarcated and diffuse opacities) at 8 and 18-20 months corrected age.
  • Beta-binomial regression analysis to control for confounders.

Main Results:

  • Enamel hypoplasia incidence was significantly higher in VLBW infants (19% at 8 mos, 31% at 18 mos) compared to NBW infants (2% at 8 mos, 8% at 18 mos).
  • ECC incidence (ICDAS ≥ 2) was 1.4% at 8 months and 12% at 18-20 months, with no significant difference between VLBW and NBW groups.
  • VLBW infants demonstrated an increased risk for enamel hypoplasia, even after controlling for maternal and infant characteristics.

Conclusions:

  • VLBW infants are at a higher risk for enamel hypoplasia.
  • Despite similar ECC rates, VLBW infants with enamel hypoplasia require close monitoring for early childhood caries.
  • Targeted dental surveillance is crucial for VLBW infants to prevent ECC progression.

Keywords:
childrendental cariesenamel defectsepidemiologylongitudinal studiesrelative risk

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