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Association between mother-infant salivary contacts and caries resistance in children: a cohort study
1Lohja District Health Center, Turku, Finland.
Insights
Frequent maternal close contact, including saliva transfer, is linked to lower rates of early childhood caries and reduced oral bacteria. This suggests protective immune mechanisms may be involved in infant oral health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Oral Microbiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Early childhood caries (ECC) is a significant public health concern.
- The role of maternal salivary transmission in infant oral microbiome development and caries risk is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the frequency of maternal-infant salivary close contacts and the prevalence of dental caries and oral microorganisms in children.
- To explore potential protective mechanisms related to maternal salivary transfer.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 55 first-born children, followed from 7 months to 5-7 years of age.
- Grouped infants based on frequency of maternal-infant salivary contact.
- Assessed children for dental caries, salivary mutans streptococci (MS), and lactobacilli.
- Collected dietary history and other relevant risk factors.
Main Results:
- Children with frequent maternal close contacts showed significantly lower levels of salivary MS (P=0.02).
- Infrequent contact group had higher caries prevalence (56% vs 19%, P<0.01) in primary molars/canines.
- Frequent contact group had higher sugar intake, but this did not negate the protective effect.
Conclusions:
- Frequent maternal salivary transfer before tooth eruption is negatively associated with MS infection and primary dentition caries.
- Maternal saliva may confer protective immune benefits to the infant's oral cavity, reducing caries risk.
Abstract:
We selected 327 7-month-old infants and divided them into two groups based on the frequency of salivary close contacts between mother and infant. Five to seven years later, all first-born children (N = 55) whose dental development had been followed regularly, were examined for dental caries and prevalence of salivary mutans streptococci (MS) and lactobacilli. The children with frequent maternal close contacts (F group, N = 21) had significantly less MS in saliva than the children with rare close contacts (R group, N = 34, P = 0.02). Only 19% of the children in F group compared with 56% in R group had experienced caries in their primary molars and/or canines (P < 0.01). A significantly greater proportion of the children in F group (57%) than in R group (27%, P < 0.05) had a high intake of sugar-containing foods and drinks in a 2-day dietary history. The F and R groups did not differ significantly with respect to other children's caries risk factors, or in age, sex, stage of dental development, dental treatment, or the social aspects studied. There were no significant differences between F and R groups in maternal caries experience, salivary MS or lactobacillus counts, or in maternal background factors (age, breast feeding, or education). Frequent transfer of maternal saliva to the mouth of the baby before tooth eruption was negatively associated with oral infection by MS and to caries in the primary dentition, possibly due to protective immune mechanisms.