Knowledge and Practices of Mothers towards Infant Oral Health Care in Their Children’s First Year of Life

AbstractThis study aimed to assess mothers’ oral health-related knowledge and practices in immediate and late puerperium, and in the child’s first year of life. This study is a prospective cohort study, in which data were collected from 358 mothers of children born between 2013 and 2014, in immediate and late puerperium, and in children’s first year of life, by interviews with sociodemographic characterization and oral health questionnaires, and were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Chi-square test (α = 5%). Participants were mainly aged 20 to 29 years (53.9%), with 7 to 11 years of education (67.6%), from low social class (72.3%), unemployed (58.9%), married or in common-law marriage (84.1%), with more than one child (60.1%). Although 51.7% of them had received information about children’s oral health, only 0.8%, 32.4% and 13.7%, respectively, knew the concept, etiology and preventive attitudes regarding dental caries. Mothers aged under 20 and over 30 years, with lower education and from low social class presented significantly lower oral health-related knowledge. At children’s first year of life, although 78.7% of the children had already been taken to the dentist, half of them had already tasted sugary foods and drinks. It is highlighted the social determination and the need of an improvement of mothers’ oral health related knowledge and practices. Educational actions, especially in prenatal programs, are important to achieve this improvement and to decrease early childhood caries rates.Keywords: Dental Caries. Child. Health Knowledge Attitudes, Practice. Parents. Oral Health.ResumoAvaliar o conhecimento e as praticas de maes sobre a saude bucal de seus filhos no puerperio imediato, tardio, e no primeiro ano de vida da crianca. Trata-se de um estudo de coorte prospectiva, no qual os dados foram coletados de 358 maes de bebes nascidos entre 2013 e 2014, no puerperio imediato, tardio e um ano apos o parto, por entrevistas com perguntas sobre dados sociodemograficos e sobre saude bucal. Os dados foram analisados por estatisticas descritivas e pelo teste Qui-quadrado (α = 5%). As participantes apresentavam, majoritariamente, idades entre 20 a 29 anos (53,9%), com 7 a 11 anos de estudo (67,6%), eram de baixa classe social (72,3%), desempregadas (58,9%), casadas ou em uniao estavel (84,1%), e tinham mais de um filho (60,1%). Apesar de 51.7% delas afirmarem ter recebido informacoes sobre saude bucal infantil, apenas 0,8%, 32,4% e 13,7%, respectivamente, sabiam o conceito, etiologia e as atitudes preventivas a carie. Maes com idades abaixo de 20 e acima de 29 anos apresentaram menor conhecimento sobre saude bucal do que as demais. No primeiro ano de vida, apesar de 78,7% das criancas ja terem ido ao dentista, metade delas ja havia experimentado alimentos e bebidas acucarados. Destaca-se a determinacao social e a necessidade de melhora no conhecimento e praticas das maes sobre saude bucal. Acoes educativas, especialmente em programas de atencao pre-natal, sao importantes para atingir essa melhora e, consequentemente, diminuir as taxas da carie na primeira infância. Palavras-chave: Carie Dentaria. Crianca. Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Praticas em Saude. Pais. Saude Bucal.