Dataset Information

Is the mode of childbirth delivery linked to the prevalence of early childhood caries? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

The mode of childbirth delivery can influence the child's future health and the aim of this study was to explore the association between the delivery mode and the prevalence of early childhood caries.

Methods

We searched the PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane databases up to September 15, 2020. Two independent reviewers screened the papers for relevance, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We performed a random effects meta-analysis to pool the prevalence of early childhood caries according to the mode of delivery.

Results

The authors included 11 studies in the review, comprising 47,688 children with vaginal delivery and 10,994 with caesarean section (C-section). The publication years ranged from 1997 to 2020 and included birth cohorts, cross-sectional, register-based and case-control studies. We assessed three publications with low or moderate risk of bias. The median caries prevalence in the C-section group was 56.4% compared to 45.9% in the vaginal group and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The pooled overall odds ratio was 1.48 (95% CI 1.07-2.05) indicating a weak but statistically significant trend towards a higher caries occurrence among children delivered with C-section. The certainty of this finding was low due to heterogeneity and inconsistencies across the studies.

Conclusion

We found a weak but inconsistent association between the mode of delivery and the prevalence of early childhood caries. Further studies based on representative, prospective cohorts reporting a standardized core outcome set are required to answer the research question with higher certainty.

SUBMITTER: Boustedt K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8526466 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe review aims to determine the risk predictability of mutans streptococci in the development of carious lesions in children with primary dentition.MethodsLongitudinal observational studies with at least 6 months follow-up and evaluating mutans streptococci presence in caries-free children under 6 years of age for the development of any cavitated or non-cavitated carious lesion. Six databases and grey literature were searched without any restrictions. Risk of bias was evaluated using the New Castle Ottawa scale for longitudinal studies, and the certainty of the evidence was evaluated by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation using GRADEpro software. Meta-analysis was performed using a random effect (DerSimonian and Laird, DL) model, and heterogeneity was evaluated using tau-squared, I2 statistics and prediction interval. Sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the mutans streptococci presence at baseline and the caries development, according to the sample and methods used for the microbiological assessment and the length of follow-up of the studies. Publication bias was checked by funnel plot using a random effect (DerSimonian and Laird, DL) model.ResultsTwelve studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Four studies received a maximum of 9 stars, and among the remaining eight studies, six received 8 stars and the rest two studies were assigned 7 stars in the risk of bias scale. After pooling the results quantitatively, odds ratio (OR) was found to be 4.13 (95% CI: 3.33, 5.12), suggesting that children with mutans streptococci had 4 times higher odds of developing caries later (p < 0.001). Four studies were pooled to compare future caries experience among children with and without mutans streptococci at baseline, obtaining standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.33, 1.37), indicating a large effect (p < 0.001). Certainty of evidence was found to be moderate, and no publication bias was reported by the funnel plot criteria of symmetry.ConclusionsPresence of mutans streptococci in a preschool child is a risk predictor for future caries experience. Early identification of children with increased caries-risk may facilitate in implementation of appropriate preventive strategies.