Comparison of Occurrence of Early Childhood Caries in Two Groups of Children Delivered by Cesarean Section and Normal Birth: A Longitudinal Study

Background: Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is defined as a specific pattern of dental caries in infants and toddlers that may lead to diverse and serious oral consequences as well as an overall detriment to general health.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the mode of mothers delivery and ECC in their children.Patients and Methods: The study was conducted as a longitudinal study using 120 mothers and their neonates up to two years of age in Kerman, Iran. Sample selection was according to a pilot study and a sample size formula. The women were examined at the ninth month of pregnancy and their babies were examined on the first day of life, and then every six months on a regular basis by only one examiner. The data was written on checklist and was analyzed by SPSS (version 18) and by Chi-square as well as Sign test.Results: Analysis of the data demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between gender and occurrence of ECC, but no statistically significant relationship between mode of delivery and occurrence of ECC, as well as ABO blood groups and occurrence of ECC were seen.Conclusions: There is not any significant association between mode of delivery and occurrence of ECC, despite the positive association between occurrence of ECC and gender.