[Dental health examination in infancy and early childhood. Part 1. The results of questionnaires].

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find the characteristic nursing environments of children in order to confirm the methods of the dental health examination in infancy and early childhood. So questionnaires were performed. The subjects were 436 children, 218 boys and 218 girls, who had undergone successively both dental healthy examinations at the age of 1.5 and 3 years. The following results were obtained: 1. Concerning occupation, 63% of their fathers were office workers, and 75% of their mothers had no occupation. More than 90% of parents were both at the age of 20's or 30's. 2. Eighty percent of the children was nursed by their mothers in the daytime at the age of both 1.5 years and 3.5 years. 3. Abnormalities during the gestational period were present in about 1/3 pregnant women, but were mild in most cases. About 20% had abnormalities at the time of deliver; however, less than 5% showed abnormal courses thereafter. The mean birth weight was 3,104.6 g, which is lower than that in Japan. 4. Breast feeding was most highly observed at the age of 3 months; 80% took baby food at the age of 6 months; milk intake was markedly increased at the age of 12 months. 5. Concerning kinds of all between-meal snacks, sweet snacks were slightly increased, showing more variety in food. However, a consciousness of oral hygiene in parents seemed to show a favorable tendency on the data on regularity, number and place of eating snacks. 6. Although a majority of the children used a toothbrush after the age of 1.5 years, 50% and 25% of the children did not brush teeth every day at the age of 1.5 years and 3.5 years, respectively. Therefore the author recognized the necessity of health guidance and aftercare.