Impact of birth characteristics, breast feeding and vital statistics on the eruption of primary teeth among healthy infants in Saudi Arabia: an observational study

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the impact of gender, birth weight, maternal age, type of delivery, gestational age and feeding practices on the eruption of teeth in children with no underlying medical conditions or developmental defects in their first year of life. DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study design was used. SETTING: A primary healthcare setting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. PARTICIPANTS: All children in their first year of life attending a vaccination clinic (n=422) were included in the study. Infants with chronic childhood illnesses, those who were below the 5th percentile in height or weight, infants with congenital birth defects and chronic illnesses, infants who were born preterm and low birth weight infants were excluded from the study. OUTCOME MEASURES: The type of delivery, birth weight, age of mother, height and weight percentile for age (as plotted on the WHO growth chart for infants) and feeding practices were recorded by the examiner, and this was followed by a clinical examination to determine the presence or absence of each tooth. Regression models were developed to determine the effect of the different variables on the presence of primary teeth. RESULTS: There was a significant association between the weight percentile of the child (adjusted for age) and the number of erupted primary teeth, suggesting that heavier children have an earlier eruption of teeth. No association was observed between birth weight, height percentile for age or maternal age at the time of birth and the number of erupted primary teeth. Children who were exclusively breast fed were significantly more likely to have an erupted first primary tooth earlier than non-breastfed group. CONCLUSIONS: Breast feeding and the weight of the child may have an influence on the eruption of primary teeth in the first year of life.