Relationship between dental caries status and anemia in children with severe early childhood caries

Severe early childhood caries (SECC) is a public health problem among preschool children. Malnutrition is a condition commonly prevalent in children with SECC. This study investigated the nutritional status among preschool children with SECC. Children with SECC (n = 101) aged 2-5 years from the Division of Pediatric Dentistry in an academic hospital in Southern Taiwan were recruited for our cross-sectional study. The nutritional status of the children was assessed based on anthropometric measurements and clinical tests. By applying the criteria established by the World Health Organization, we found that 9% and 46% of the children with SECC were diagnosed as being anemic and iron deficient, respectively. Using national standards for the body mass index, 30% of children with SECC were classified as underweight. The relationship between the caries status of the children and anemia was examined using multivariable logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05). Our results show that SECC is strongly associated with anemia (7.25-fold), indicating that clinicians and dentists should provide treatment to improve both the oral hygiene and the nutritional status of children with SECC. Copyright (C) 2012, Kaohsiung Medical University. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC. All rights reserved.