Adverse Childhood Experiences in the First 1000 Days of Life and Dental Caries Experience From Age 31 to 61 Months

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the association between early life adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and dental caries among young children.

Methods

This study was a secondary analysis of longitudinal data from 927 children in the Children-In-Focus (CIF) sub-study of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). ACEs were assessed through questionnaires from mothers and partners, covering the gestation period (prenatal ACEs) and the first 2 years of life (ACEs during infancy). Dental caries was assessed clinically at ages 31, 43, and 61 months and reported using the dmft index. The association between early life ACEs and dental caries was evaluated in mixed effects Poisson models adjusting for covariates.

Results

Overall, 342 (36.9%) and 441 (47.6%) children in the study sample were exposed to ACEs prenatally and during infancy, respectively. The mean dmft score was 0.03 ± 0.21 at age 31 months, increasing to 0.26 ± 0.94 at age 43 months and to 0.62 ± 1.51 at age 61 months. Neither exposure to ACEs prenatally (rate ratio: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.73–1.70) nor during infancy (1.08, 95% CI: 0.71–1.63) was associated with the dmft score, after adjustment for covariates. In addition, exposure to ACEs during both life periods was not associated with the dmft score (1.21, 95% CI: 0.74–1.98).

Conclusion

This longitudinal study provided little support for the association between experience of ACEs during the first 1000 days of life and greater caries experience from age 31 to 61 months.