Association between Early Childhood Caries and Maternal Factors among 18- to 36-month-old Children in a Rural Area of Cambodia.

Purpose To investigate the associations between early childhood caries (ECC) and maternal factors among 18- to 36-month-old children in one rural province of Cambodia. Materials and methods 121 mother-child pairs (male = 67, female = 54; mean age = 25.18 ± 6.24 months) were recruited at several villages in Stueng Trang district, Kampong Cham province. ECC and maternal caries experience were recorded following WHO guidelines. Maternal factors such as literacy and socioeconomic status, as well as child-rearing behaviours, were assessed through an interview questionnaire of the mothers. Results ECC and maternal caries prevalence were 54.5% and 84.3%, respectively. Statistically significant associations were found between ECC and: breast-feeding after 18 months; sugary food and beverage intake for the child (p 0 (OR = 4.08; 95% CI =1.13-14.75; p = 0.032), children whose mothers were illiterate (OR = 8.21; 95% CI = 1.67-40.85; p = 0.009), children who had night-time breastfeeding after 18 months (OR = 2.76; 95% CI = 1.06-7.19; p = 0.037), and children for whom toothbrushing was introduced after 18 months (OR = 2.87; 95% CI = 1.03-7.97; p = 0.042). Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that maternal caries experience and illiteracy, as well as a range of child-rearing behaviours including prolonged night-time breastfeeding and late introduction of toothbrushing were indicators for ECC in this population.