Prenatal Substance Use Disorders and Dental Caries in Children

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Substance use is prevalent among women of reproductive age.
• Limited data exist on the dental health outcomes, specifically caries risk, in children born to mothers with substance use disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal substance use and the risk of hospitalization for dental caries in offspring.
• To quantify the risk of pediatric dental caries associated with maternal substance use disorders.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal cohort study of 790,758 infants born in Quebec, Canada (2006-2016).
• Identified women with substance use disorders before or during pregnancy.
• Assessed hospitalization for dental caries in offspring up to 12 years post-birth, calculating hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Main Results:

• Children exposed to maternal substance use had a higher incidence of dental caries hospitalization (105.2 vs. 27.0 per 10,000 person-years).
• Maternal substance use was associated with nearly double the risk of childhood dental caries (HR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.80-2.14).
• Associations were observed for various substances, with higher risk for use during pregnancy and in early childhood.

Conclusions:

• Maternal substance use is a significant risk factor for pediatric dental caries hospitalization.
• Targeting substance use in women, particularly during pregnancy, is crucial for preventing dental caries in their children.
• Early intervention strategies addressing maternal substance use may improve offspring dental health outcomes.