Dental caries and associated risk factors in 13-to 18-month-old infants receiving breast or formula milk feeding: A cross-sectional study

Background The association between breast milk feeding and dental caries risk in children remains controversial. Moreover, it is unclear whether risk factors for caries differ between breast milk-fed and formula milk-fed infants. Aim To investigate dental caries in 13- to 18-month-old infants receiving breast milk or formula milk feeding and associated risk factors. Design One hundred and sixty-six 13- to 18-month-old infants were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Information on feeding practices, demographics, and potential risk factors was collected using a caregiver questionnaire. Carious lesions were identified by visual and tactile examination. The Chi-squared test, Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression model were used for statistical analysis. Results The prevalence of caries in breast milk- and formula milk-fed infants was 31.8% and 36.0%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (p = .579). Among all children, having dental plaque deposition on more than one third of the crown (adjusted OR (aOR): 15.11%; 95% CI: 6.11-37.35) and sleeping while milk feeding (aOR: 2.20%; 95%CI: 1.01-4.77) were associated with dental caries. In subgroup analysis, however, sleeping while milk feeding increased caries risk in the formula milk-fed group only (aOR: 2.95%; 95%CI: 1.07-8.12). Conclusions The type of milk feeding was not associated with dental caries, whereas dental plaque and sleeping while milk feeding increased the odds of having dental caries in this population.